VIOLET! 


--i-i.  •       •  •  .•  •   • . 


A    HISTORY    OF 
MISSOURI 


BY 


EUGENE    MORROW   VIOLETTE 

PROFESSOR   OF   HISTORY,   STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL 
KIRKSVILLE,     MISSOURI 


D.  C.  HEATH  &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS 

BOSTON  NEW   YORK  CHICAGO 


COPYRIGHT,  1918, 
BY  D.  C.   HEATH  &  Co. 

ID  8 


TO   MY  WIFE 


PREFACE 

MISSOURI  has  had  a  history  of  unusual  interest.  But 
unfortunately  Missourians  do  not  know  the  history  of 
their  own  State  as  they  should.  This  is  due  largely  to 
the  fact  that  not  enough  books  of  a  more  or  less  popular 
nature  have  been  written  on  this  subject.  At  present  the 
only  books  available  that  cover  the  whole  field  of  Mis 
souri  history  are  designed  for  use  as  texts  in  the  ele 
mentary  schools  of  the  State,  such  as  those  by  Rader, 
Williams,  and  Viles.  The  more  standard  works,  such  as 
those  by  Carr  and  Switzler,  are  either  out  of  date  or  out 
of  print.  There  are  a  number  of  special  works  dealing  with 
different  periods  or  subjects  in  Missouri  history,  but  they 
are  more  or  less  expensive  and  hence  will  never  have  a  very 
wide  circulation.  Under  these  circumstances  a  new  manual 
of  Missouri  history  seems  to  be  greatly  needed,  and  it 
is  in  response  to  such  a  need  that  this  book  has  been 
written  and  offered  to  the  reading  public. 

The  plan  of  this  book  departs  very  widely  from  that 
which  has  been  generally  followed  in  the  writing  of  state 
histories.  Usually  a  state  history  relates  in  chronological 
order  the  more  important  events  that  have  happened 
within  the  borders  of  the  state,  whether  those  events 
were  strictly  local  in  character  or  were  of  national  im 
port  and  connection.  In  this  work  no  space  is  given  to 
things  that  are  strictly  local.  The  effort  has  been  to 
deal  with  only  those  topics  in  Missouri  history  that 
have  significance  in  the  history  of  the  nation.  And  in 
order  that  the  reader  may  know  just  what  has  been 
considered  as  the  historical  background  for  the  topics 
in  Missouri  history  that  are  dealt  with  in  this  book,  a 
statement  is  made  at  the  beginning  of  each  chapter  in- 


VI  PREFACE 

dicating  the  subject  in  our  national  history  that  consti 
tutes  the  historical  setting  for  that  chapter.  The  reader  is 
presumed  to  be  acquainted  with  the  outlines  of  American 
history  before  he  takes  up  the  reading  or  the  study  of 
this  book,  but  if  he  should  feel  uncertain  as  to  his  knowl 
edge  of  American  history  or  should  wish  to  review  those 
topics  that  furnish  the  background  for  this  work,  he  will 
find  that  any  of  the  standard  texts  in  American  history 
used  in  the  high  schools  of  the  State  will  give  him  the 
essential  information  necessary  for  the  successful  use  of 
this  book. 

Inasmuch  as  this  work  is  constructed  along  lines  al 
together  different  from  those  that  have  usually  been  fol 
lowed  in  the  writing  of  state  histories,  persons  who  are 
familiar  with  the  other  histories  of  Missouri  will  find  that 
many  things  are  omitted  from  the  present  volume  which 
they  might  expect  to  find.  For  example,  many  of  the 
governors  of  the  State  are  not  mentioned.  But  the 
things  omitted  have  made  room  for  other  matter  that 
has  been  regarded  as  of  greater  historical  importance, 
and  hence  certain  topics  have  been  developed  more 
fully  than  they  have  been  heretofore  in  the  manuals  of 
Missouri  history. 

In  constructing  this  book  on  this  plan,  I  have  hoped 
that  it  might  find  a  place  not  only  in  the  Reading  Circle 
course  but  also  in  the  high  schools  of  the  State  as  a  book 
of  reference  in  connection  with  the  courses  in  American 
history.  Heretofore  the  history  of  Missouri  has  been 
taught  only  in  the  elementary  school,  as  is  the  case  with 
practically  all  state  histories.  But  the  study  of  state 
history  in  the  elementary  school  has  not  proved  an  unquali 
fied  success,  largely  because  it  has  been  taught  there  with 
out  its  natural  setting.  It  is  not  likely  that  state  history 
will  ever  be  introduced  into  the  high  school  as  a  separate 
subject.  The  curriculum  of  the  high  school  is  already 
crowded.  And  even  if  it  were  possible  to  introduce  it 
there  as  a  separate  subject,  it  would  fail  of  success  as 


PREFACE  Vll 

it  has  in  the  elementary  school.  There  is,  therefore,  but 
one  way  of  getting  state  history  into  the  high  school, 
and  that  is  by  connecting  it  with  the  course  in  American 
history ;  and  effective  connection  with  the  course  in 
American  history  can  be  secured  only  by  selecting  for 
study  those  topics  in  state  history  that  have  their  his 
torical  setting  in  our  national  history. 

This  method  of  presenting  Missouri  history  in  the  high 
school  is  not  altogether  untried.  In  1914  I  published 
privately  a  few  chapters  on  the  early  history  of  Missouri 
which  were  intended  to  be  used  in  connection  with  the 
course  in  American  history.  These  were  placed  in  the 
hands  of  several  teachers  who  were  conducting  high 
school  classes  in  American  history,  to  see  if  there  were 
any  merit  in  the  method.  The  success  which  was  re 
ported  as  a  result  of  this  plan  of  study  encouraged  me 
to  proceed  with  what  I  had  started  out  to  accomplish. 
This  book  is  the  result.  In  two  of  the  best  high  schools 
of  the  State  the  manuscript  of  this  book  has  been  used 
either  in  part  or  as  a  whole  by  the  teachers  of  history  in 
their  classes  in  American  history.  They  have  kindly 
reported  that  the  experiment  turned  out  very  satis 
factorily  with  them  and  that  they  are  heartily  in  favor 
of  this  method  of  presenting  Missouri  history  in  the  high 
school. 

In  compiling  the  references  that  are  to  be  found  at  the 
close  of  each  chapter,  great  care  was  taken  to  name  only 
those  books  or  articles  that  are  fairly  accessible.  It 
would  have  been  very  easy  to  have  made  many  of  the 
lists  several  times  as  long  as  they  are.  But  if  that  had 
been  done,  most  of  the  books  mentioned  in  these 
lengthened  lists  would  have  been  either  out  of  print 
or  very  high  priced  and  hence  out  of  the  reach  of  the 
majority  of  the  readers.  For  these  reasons  no  reference 
is  given  to  such  standard  works  as  Switzler's  History  of 
Missouri.  This  book  .is  out  of  print  and  can  be  had  only 
at  second-hand  book  stores  in  large  cities  at  a  very  high 


Vlll  PREFACE 

price.  The  same  is  true  of  many  other  standard  works  on 
Missouri  history.  It  is  believed,  however,  that  the  titles 
that  have  been  mentioned  in  the  reference  lists  will  fur 
nish  the  reader  with  a  workable  bibliography. 

In  preparing  this  book  I  have  drawn  heavily  from  not 
only  the  standard  works  but  also  the  special  contri 
butions  that  have  been  made  to  Missouri  history  by  a 
number  of  writers  in  recent  years.  Fortunately  several 
well-trained  historical  investigators  have  turned  their  at 
tention  to  Missouri  history  in  the  last  fifteen  years  or 
so,  and  they  have  brought  forth  some  highly  creditable 
productions.  Special  mention  should  be  made  of  Houck's 
History  of  Missouri  Down  to  1821,  Shoemaker's  Missouri's 
Struggle  for  Statehood,  Million's  State  Aid  to  Railways,  and 
Trexler's  Slavery  in  Missouri.  Besides  these  books  and 
monographs  a  number  of  very  fine  articles  have  appeared 
in  recent  years  in  the  Missouri  Historical  Review  and  the 
Missouri  Historical  Society  Collections  that  are  real  con 
tributions  to  our  knowledge  of  Missouri  history.  These 
books  and  articles  have  been  gleaned  very  thoroughly. 
No  attempt  has  been  made  to  indicate  by  footnotes  the 
authorities  from  which  material  has  been  drawn.  The 
footnotes  have  been  used  to  elaborate  upon  the  matter 
dealt  with  in  the  body  of  the  text.  But  at  the  end  of  each 
chapter  will  be  found  the  list  of  books  and  articles  that 
have  been  my  chief  sources  of  information,  and  from  which 
the  quotations  have  generally  been  taken. 

I  am  greatly  indebted  to  a  number  of  students  of 
Missouri  history  for  criticisms  and  suggestions.  I  can 
not  mention  them  all  by  name,  but  I  must  not  fail  to 
note  my  special  obligation  to  Judge  Walter  B.  Douglas 
of  St.  Louis,  Professor  C.  H.  McClure  of  the  Warrens- 
burg  State  Normal  School,  Miss  Lucy  Simmons  of  the 
Macon  High  School,  Miss  Benson  Botts  of  the  Mexico 
High  School,  Miss  Reba  Poison  of  the  Muncie  (Ind.) 
High  School,  Mr.  F.  C.  Shoemaker,  secretary  of  the 
State  Historical  Society,  and  Mr.  William  Clark  Brecken- 


PREFACE  IX 

ridge  of  St.  Louis.  The  last  two  mentioned  are  deserving 
of  the  highest  gratitude  on  my  part.  Both  have  placed 
at  my  disposal  their  extensive  knowledge  of  Missouri 
history  and  have  never  been  too  busy  to  answer  my 
inquiries  and  appeals  for  assistance.  Mr.  Breckenridge 
has  patiently  read  every  line  of  the  manuscript  and  has 
offered  valuable  suggestions  on  every  chapter. 

I  am  also  under  great  obligation  to  Professor  Isidor 
Loeb  of  the  University  of  Missouri  for  his  permission  to 
reproduce  the  series  of  county  maps  of  Missouri  which 
had  been  made  by  the  Political  Science  Department  of 
that  institution,  and  to  the  Missouri  Historical  Society, 
Mr.  Louis  Houck,  Mrs.  Vida  E.  Smith,  and  others  for 
their  permission  to  reproduce  many  of  the  maps  and 
illustrations  in  this  book. 

E.    M.    VlOLETTE. 

STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL, 

KlRKSVILLE,  MISSOURI, 

May  i,  1918. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I 
EARLY  FRENCH   SETTLEMENTS   IN   MISSOURI 


PAGE 


Territorial  Losses  of  France  in  America,  1762-63        .         .         2 
Early  French  Settlements  in  Illinois 3 

1.  Location 3 

2.  Kaskaskia 5 

3.  Character  and  Life  of  the  Settlers  ....        6 

4.  Government 6 

Temporary  French  Settlements  in  Missouri        ...         7 

1 .  River  des  Peres  Settlement 7 

2.  Fort  Orleans 8 

a.  " Great  Caravan,"  1720 8 

b.  DeBourgmont's  Expedition,  1722-23          .         .         9 

c.  Site  of  Fort  Orleans 9 

d.  Destruction  of  Fort  Orleans,  1726      .         .         .10 
Ste.  Genevieve,  First  Permanent  Settlement  in  Missouri    .       10 

1.  Early  Lead  Mining  in  Missouri  10 

a.  By  Renault 10 

b.  By  Illinois  French  Settlers          .         .         .         .11 

2.  Founding  of  Ste.  Genevieve,  1735  ....       12 

3.  Removal  to  a  New  Site,  1785-91    ....       12 
St.  Louis,  the  Second  Permanent  Settlement  in  Missouri   .       13 

1.  Grant  to  Maxent,  Laclede  and  Company       .         •  "    13 

2.  Selection  of  the  Site  by  Laclede      .         .  14 

3.  Founding  of  the  Village,  Feb.  15,  1764  .         .         .15 

4.  Plan  of  the  Village 15 

5.  Names    .         .         .         .         .         .         .         •  17 

Spanish  Forts  at  the  Mouth  of  the  Missouri  River     .         .       17 
Conditions  in  Missouri,  1765-70         ...  .18 

1.  Emigration  from  French  Illinois  Settlements  into 

Missouri .18 

2.  Life  in  the  French  Settlements  in  Missouri     .         .       19 

3.  Arrival  of  Piernas  in  St.  Louis,  1770    •  .  .20 

xi 


Xll  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  II 
THE   ENGLISH  ATTACK   UPON   ST.   LOUIS   IN   1780 

PAGE 

George  Rogers  Clark  Expedition,  1778-79          .         .         .22 

1 .  Cooperation  of  Spanish  Authorities  at  New  Orleans 

with  Virginia 22 

2.  Declaration  of  War  by  Spain  against  England, 

1779    •                          23 

3.  Capture  of  Illinois  Settlements       .         .         .         -23 
Plan  of  England  for  an  Expedition  down  the  Mississippi  .  24 

St.  Louis  in  1780 25 

The  Attack,  May  26,  1780 27 

Causes  of  the  Failure  of  the  Expedition      ....  29 

Significance  of  the  Attack  .......  30 

Spanish  Expedition  against  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  1781      .  30 

DeLeyba 31 

CHAPTER  III 

CONDITIONS    IN   MISSOURI    DURING  THE   SPANISH 

PERIOD 

Transfer  of  Louisiana  from  France  to  the  United  States     .       32 
Causes  of  Immigration  to  Missouri,  1769-1804  ...       35 

1.  Disorder  in  the  Illinois  Country,  1778-90       .         .       35 

a.  Virginia  Misrule -35 

b.  Peace  between  England  and  the  United  States  .       36 

2.  Northwest  Ordinance,  1787 36 

3.  Spanish  Offers  to  Settlers 37 

a.  Free  Grants  of  Land 37 

b.  Laxness  in  the  Enforcement  of  Religious  Re 

strictions         37 

4.  Purchase  of  Louisiana,  1803 39 

Predominance  of  Americans  in  Missouri  by  1804        .         .  39 
Growth  of  Settlements  in  Missouri  during  the  Spanish 

Period 39 

i.   St.  Charles  District 39 

a.  St.  Charles 39 

b.  Portage  des  Sioux 41 


CONTENTS  Xlll 

PAGE 

c.  La  Charette 41 

d.  Settlements  along  the  Creeks  of  the  District      .  42 

2.  St.  Louis  District 42 

a.  St.  Louis 42 

b.  Carondelet 43 

c.  Florissant 43 

d.  Creve  Cceur  and  Point  Labadie          .  43 

e.  Settlements  along  the  Meramec          ...  44 

3.  Ste.  Genevieve  District 44 

a.  New  Bourbon 44 

b.  Mine  a  Breton 45 

c.  Farmington  and  Fredericktown          ...  46 

d.  Ste.  Genevieve,  the  Most  Populous  District  in 

1804 46 

4.  Cape  Girardeau  District 47 

a.  Cape  Girardeau 47 

b.  Americans  in  the  Majority         ....  48 

5.  New  Madrid  District 48 

a.  L'Anse  a  la  Graise 48 

b.  Morgan's  Colonization  Scheme  ....  49 

c.  Founding  of  New  Madrid 50 

d.  Caruthersville  and  Portageville           .         .         .51 
Areas  of  Settlement  in  Missouri  in  1804     .         .         .         .51 
Distribution  of  French  and  American  Settlers    .         .  51 
Government  of  Louisiana 52 

1.  Governor  General  and  Cabildo       .         .         .         -52 

2.  Officials  of  Upper  Louisiana 52 

3.  Administration  of  Laws           .....  53 

4.  Lack  of  Popular  Government          ....  54 
Life  among  the  French  Settlers 55 

1.  Houses 55 

2.  Farms 57 

a.  Common  Fields 57 

b.  Commons 58 

c.  Agricultural  Implements    .         .  .         .58 

3.  Trading  in  Furs 59 

4.  Industries 60 

5.  Dress 60 

6.  Manners 60 

7.  Education  and  Religion           .....  60 


xiv  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Life  of  the  American  Settlers      .         .         .         .         .         .61 

1.  Houses .         .         .61 

2.  Occupations 61 

Daniel  Boone 62 

1.  Early  Life 62 

2.  In  Kentucky 62 

3.  In  Missouri    .         .         .         .         .         .         .         -63 

4.  Death .         .         .64 

CHAPTER  IV 

INDIAN  TROUBLES  IN  MISSOURI  DURING  THE  WAR 

OF   1812 

Indian  Tribes  in  Missouri  in  1812 66 

1 .  South  of  the  Missouri  River 66 

2.  North  of  the  Missouri  River 67 

Growth  of  Settlements,  1803-12          .....  67 

1 .  Doubling  of  Population 67 

2.  Extension  of  Area  of  Settlement     ....       67 
Indian  Warfare  .........       68 

1.  Activity  of  the  Indians  East  of  the  Mississippi 

River 68 

2.  Militia  Expeditions  under  General  Howard  and 

General  Dodge 69 

3.  Erection  of  Forts    ......  .69 

Treaties  of  Peace  with  the  Indians     .....       70 

1 .  Ratification  of  Cessions  of  Lands  by  the  Sacs  and 

Foxes 71 

2.  Cessions  by  the  Osages 71 

Extinction  of  Indian  Titles  in  Missouri      ....  72 

Munitions  of  War  from  Missouri  in  the  War  of  1812          .  72 

CHAPTER  V 

CONDITIONS    IN    MISSOURI    DURING    THE    TERRI 
TORIAL   PERIOD 

Increase  in  Population 74 

i.    Immigration  from  Virginia,  Kentucky,  and  Other 

States  74 


CONTENTS  XV 

PAGE 

2.  Growth  of  Frontier  Settlements  in  Missouri  .         .       75 

3.  Decline  in  Population  of  New  Madrid    ...       76 
Formation  of  New  Counties,  1804-20         .         .         .         -77 
Pioneer  Conditions  in  Missouri 81 

1.  Turbulence  and  Disorder        .         .         .*        .         .82 

a.  Drunkenness  and  Gambling       ....  82 

b.  Sunday  Desecration 83 

c.  Fighting 83 

d.  Raids  on  Indians 84 

2.  Speculations 84 

3.  Political  Agitations 84 

Indications  of  Progress 84 

1.  Professional  Classes .84 

2.  Schools 84 

3.  Churches -85 

a.  Removal  of  Religious  Restrictions      ...       85 

b.  Adaptability   of    Baptists    and   Methodists   to 

Pioneer  Conditions 85 

c.  Baptists  in  Missouri 86 

d.  Methodists  in  Missouri 87 

e.  Protestant  Churches  in  St.  Louis       ...  88 
/.    Influence  of  Pioneer  Preachers  ....  88 
g.  Catholics  in  Missouri 89 

4.  Newspapers •  92 

5.  Postal  Facilities 94 

6.  Transportation  Facilities         ...  -95 

a.  Roads  and  Ferries      ....  -95 

b.  Steamboats 95 

7.  Industrial  Improvements 96 

8.  Taverns 97 

CHAPTER  VI 
THE   STRUGGLE   OF   MISSOURI   FOR   STATEHOOD 

Significance  of  the  Missouri  Question          ....       99 

Act  of  Congress,  1803 100 

Act  of  1804 ioo 

1.  Creation  of  the  District  of  Louisiana      .         .         .100 

2.  Protest  against  this  Act 101 


xvi  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Act  of  1805 ioi 

1.  Creation  ofxthe  Territory  of  Louisiana   .         .         .102 

2.  Territorial  Institutions 102 

Act  of  1812      ^ 102 

1.  Creation  of  the  Territory  of  Missouri     .         .         .102 

2.  Changes  in  the  Territorial  Institutions  .         .         .102 

Act  of  1816 .103 

Boundary  Changes     ....                                    .104 
Petitions  for  Statehood 104 

1.  Popular  Petitions  of  1817 104 

2.  Legislative  Memorial  of  1818          ....  105 

3.  Popular  Petitions  of  1819 105 

4.  Differences  in  the  Petitions  Regarding  Boundaries  105 
First  Missouri  Compromise 108 

1.  The  Thomas  Amendment 108 

2.  Provisions  Regarding  a  Constitutional  Amendment     108 

3.  Boundaries .109 

Public  Opinion  in  Missouri  over  the  Struggle  in  Congress  .     1 1 1 

1 .  Methods  Employed  in  Expressing  Opinions    .  .  1 1 1 

2.  Opposition  to  Restrictions  Regarding  Slavery  .  112 
Reception  of  the  News  of  the  Compromise         .         .  .  1 1 3 
Election  of  Delegates  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  .  115 

1.  State  Restriction  upon  Slavery  —  the  Issue   .         .116 

2.  No  State  Restrictionists  Elected     .         .         .         .116 
Personnel  of  the  Convention 116 

1.  Nationality  of  Members 117 

2.  Place  of  Birth 117 

3.  Place  of  Rearing 117 

4.  Occupation 118 

Work  of  the  Convention 1 1 8 

1.  Adoption  of  the  Constitution  without  Submitting 

it  to  the  People 119 

2.  Adoption   of   an   Ordinance   Accepting   the   Five 

Propositions  of  Congress 120 

Constitution  of  1820 121 

1.  Preamble 121 

2.  Boundaries 122 

3.  Frame  of  Government 122 

a.  Legislative  Department 122 

b.  Executive  Department 123 


CONTENTS  XVll 

PAGE 

c.  Judicial  Department .         .         .         .         .         .123 

d.  Local  Officials 124 

4.    Declaration  of  Rights  and  the  Schedule          .         .  124 

Framers  of  the  Constitution 124 

Sources  of  the  Constitution 126 

Missouri,  a  State,  on  July  19,  1820 127 

First  State  Election 127 

First  General  Assembly 128 

1.  Election  of  Barton  and  Benton  as  Senators    .         .128 

2.  Other  Business 131 

Second  Missouri  Compromise 132 

1.  Objectional  Clause  in  the  Constitution  Regarding 

Free  Negroes -132 

2.  Terms  of  the  Compromise 134 

3.  Expressions  of  Public  Opinion  in  Missouri  Regard 

ing  Congressional  Delay      .         .         .         .         .  134 

4.  Rejoicing  in  Missouri  on  the  Reception  of  the  News  135 
Solemn  Public  Act  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Missouri    .  136 

1.  Provisions  of  the  Act 136 

2.  Observance  of  the  Act  until  1847   .         .         .         .138 
Admission  of  the  State  into  the  Union        .         .         .         .138 

CHAPTER  VII 
EARLY   BANKING   IN   MISSOURI 

Present  Banking  System  in  Missouri          ....  140 

Early  Barter  System 140 

First  Banks  in  Missouri 142 

1.  Bank  of  St.  Louis  and  Bank  of  Missouri         .         .  142 

2.  Collapse  of  these  Banks 142 

United  States  Bank  in  St.  Louis 143 

Bank  of  the  State  of  Missouri 143 

1.  Need  for  a  Bank 144 

2.  Chartered  by  the  Legislature,  1837         .         .         .  144 

3.  Management  of  the  Bank 145 

4.  Effects  of  the  Panic  of  1837  on  the  Bank        .         .  146 

5.  Laws  against  the  Use  of  "Wildcat"  Currency        .  147 
Banking  Law  of  1857 147 

i.   Need  for  more  Banks  of  Issue        .        .        .        .  147 


XV111  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

2.  Constitutional  Amendment 148 

3.  Creation  of  New  Banks 148 

4.  Effects  of  the  Panic  of  1857 149 

Private  Banks  in  St.  Joseph  and  Kansas  City    .         .         .149 
End  of  the  Bank  of  the  State  of  Missouri  .         .         .149 


CHAPTER  VIII 
KEARNY  AND   DONIPHAN'S  EXPEDITIONS 

Interest  of  Missourians  in  the  Annexation  of  Texas  .         -151 

1.  Belief  in  " Manifest  Destiny "         ....     151 

2.  Blood  Relationship  between  the  People  of  Missouri 

and  Texas  .         . 151 

3.  No  Interest  in  the  Extension  of  Slave  Territory     .     152 
First  Missouri  Volunteers  for  the  Mexican  War          .         .152 
Preparation  for  the  Santa  Fe  Expedition    .         .         .         .     1 53 

1 .  Reasons  for  the  Expedition    .         .         .         .         .  1 53 

2.  Gathering  of  Troops  at  Fort  Leaven  worth      .         .  154 

3.  Election  of  Doniphan  as  Colonel    .         .         .         .  154 
March  to  Santa  Fe 155 

1.  Difficulties  of  the  March 155 

2.  Entry  into  Santa  Fe 156 

3.  Kearny's  Proclamation  Annexing  New  Mexico       .     157 
Kearny's  Expedition  to  California      .         .         .         .         .     157 

Price's  Expedition  to  Santa  Fe 158 

Doniphan's  Expedition  against  the  Navajos       .         .         .158 

1 .  Severe  Suffering  of  the  Men 159 

2.  Suppression  of  the  Navajos 160 

Doniphan's  Expedition  through  Mexico      .         .         .         .160 

1.  Battle  of  Brazito 161 

2.  Entry  into  El  Paso 161 

3.  March  to  Chihuahua 162 

4.  Battle  of  Sacramento 162 

5.  Advance  to  Saltillo  and  Matamoras        .         .         -163 

6.  Embarkation  for  Home 163 

Reception  of  the  Troops  at  St.  Louis          .         .         .         .164 

Rebellion  in  New  Mexico 164 

Return  of  Price  to  New  Mexico 165 

Significance  of  Doniphan's  Expedition        .         .         .         .166 


CONTENTS  XIX 

CHAPTER  IX 
MISSOURI   AND   THE   FAR  WEST 

PAGE 

Missouri  as  a  Colonizer  of  the  Far  West  .  .  .  .167 
Significance  of  the  Fur  Trade  in  the  History  of  Missouri  .  169 
Early  Fur  Trade  in  Missouri 170 

1.  Furs  as  Media  of  Exchange 170 

2.  Grant  to  Maxent,  Laclede  and  Company       .         .170 

3.  Individual  Traders 170 

4.  Restricted  Fields  of  Operation        .         .         .         .171 
New  Era  in  the  Fur  Trade  of  Missouri       .         .         .         -171 

1.  Enlargement  of  Field  of  Operation          .         .         .172 

2.  Creation  of  Large  Fur  Companies  .         .         .         .172 
Missouri  Fur  Company  or  Manuel  Lisa  and  Company       .     1 72 

1 .  Operations  along  the  Upper  Missouri     .         .         .     1 73 

2.  Manuel  Lisa 173 

Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company          .         .         .         .         .     175 

1.  Operations  in  the  Rockies 175 

2.  General  William  Ashley    • 176 

a.  Early  Career 176 

b.  The  Annual  Rendezvous    .         .         .         .         .176 

c.  The  Pack  Train 177 

3.  Importance  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company 

in  the  Development  of  the  West          .         .         .  177 

American  Fur  Company 178 

1.  John  Jacob  Astor  . 178 

2.  Monopoly .  179 

3.  Pratte,  Chouteau  and  Company     .         .         .         .  179 
Decline  of  the  St.  Louis  Fur  Trade  by  1860        .         .         .179 
Revival  since  1890 180 

1.  New  Methods 180 

2.  Auction  Sales 180 

3.  St.  Louis,  the  "  Fur  City  of  the  World  "         .         .181 
Early  Means  of  River  Transportation         .         .         .         .181 

1.  Canoe 181 

2.  Mackinaw 182 

3.  Bull  Boat 182 

4.  Keel  Boat 183 


XX  CONTENTS 

"M»  J 

v «  PAGE 

Steamboat  on  the  Missouri  River       .         .     ».  .        .         .184 

1.  First  Appearance    .         .         .  .  •'      .         .184 

2.  The  Yellowstone 184 

3.  Disappearance  from  the  Missouri  River          .         .185 

4.  Reappearance  in  Recent  Years       .         .         .         .     1 86 

The  Overland  Routes .187 

Early  Santa  Fe  Expeditions 187 

1.  Santa  Fe 188 

2.  First  Expedition 188 

3.  Vial's  Journey,  1 792-93 188 

4.  Imprisonment  of  American  Traders  in  Mexico        .  189 

5.  Pike's  Expedition,  1806-07 189 

6.  Mexican  Revolution,  1821 190 

Becknell's  Expeditions,  1821-22 190 

Difficulties  in  Developing  the  Santa  Fe  Trade    .         .         .191 

1.  Indian  Attacks 191 

fl.  Appeal  to  the  United  States  Government  for 

Protection 192 

b.  Organization  of  the  Caravans     .         .         .         .192 

2.  Mexican  Tariffs  and  Customs  Regulations      .         .194 
Character  of  the  Santa  Fe  Trade  and  its  Value  .         .     195 

1.  Traders 195 

2.  Wares 196 

3.  Returns 196 

4.  Profits    .........  197 

Comparison  between  the  Oregon  and  the  Santa  Fe  Trails  .  197 

Origin  of  the  Oregon  Trail 198 

Common  Starting  Point  of  the  Two  Trails          .         .         .198 

1.  Franklin 199 

2.  Independence          . 199 

3.  Westport 200 

Importance  of  the  Trails  in  the  History  of  Missouri  .         .     200 
Marking  the  Trails .201 

CHAPTER  X 
THE   MORMON   TROUBLES   IN   MISSOURI 

"  Forty-niners " 204 

Book  of  Mormon 204 

i .    Records  on  Gold  Plates 205 


CONTENTS  xxi 

PAGE 

2.  Translation  of  the  Plates 206 

3.  Growth  in  the  Number  of  Mormons       .         .         .     206 
Lamanite  Mission 206 

1 .  Journey  to  Independence,  Missouri        .         .         .     206 

2.  Failure  of  the  Mission 207 

The  Founding  of  Zion  at  Independence      ....     207 

1.  Ceremonies,  August  2  and  3,  1831  .         .  .     207 

2.  Plan  for  the  Rebuilding  of  Independence        .  .     209 

3.  Migration  of  Mormons  to  the  Land  of  Zion   .  .210 
Expulsion  from  Jackson  County         .         .         .         .  .210 

1.  First  Signs  of  Hostility 210 

2.  Address  of  the  Citizens  of  Jackson  County  to  the 

Mormons .211 

3.  Mobbing  of  the  Mormons       .         .         .         .  .211 

4.  The  Mormons  Agree  to  Leave  the  County     .  .212 

5.  Mormons  Decide  Not  to  Leave      .         .         .  .212 

6.  Renewal  of  Hostilities  against  the  Mormons  .  -213 

7.  Mormons  Move  to  Clay  County    .         .         .  .214 

8.  Reception  in  Clay  County 215 

Attempts  of  the  Mormons  to  Secure  Redress      .         .  .215 

Troubles  in  Clay  County    .         .         .         .         .         .  .216 

1.  Increase  in  the.  Number  of  Mormons      .         .         .216 

2.  Mass  Meeting  of  Citizens  at  Liberty      .         .         .216 
Settlement  of  the  Mormons  in  Caldwell  County         .         .217 

1.  Creation  of  Caldwell  County  .         .         .         .217 

2.  Far  West 218 

3.  Mormon  Control  of  the  County      .         .         .         .219 

4.  Arrival  of  Joseph  Smith  at  Far  West      .         .         .219 

5.  Dissensions  among  the  Mormons    .         .         .         .219 
The  Gathering  of  the  Storm 220 

1.  Rigdon's  Salt  Sermon,  July  4,  1838         .         .         .     220 

2.  Clash  at  Gallatin,  August  6,  1838  .         .         .         .221 

3.  Other  Hostilities 222 

Expulsion  from  the  State 223 

1.  Governor  Boggs' Exterminating  Order  .         .         .223 

2.  Surrender  of  Mormons  to  General  Lucas        .         .     224 

3.  Trial  of  Smith  and  Others 224 

4.  Exodus  of  Mormons  to  Illinois        ....     225 
Return  of  the  Mormons  to  Missouri  .  226 


xxii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XI 
THE  RAILROADS   OF   MISSOURI 

PAGE 

First  Railroads  in  the  United  States 228 

Reasons  Why  Missouri  Delayed  Building  Railroads  .         .  228 

1.  Conservatism  of  the  People 228 

2.  Natural  Highways 229 

3.  Lack  of  Money 229 

Early  Agitation  in  Missouri  in  Favor  of  Railroads     .         .  230 

1.  First  Railroad  Convention,  1836    ....  230 

2.  Incorporation  of  Eighteen  Railroads,  1837      .         .  230 

3.  Decline  of  Interest  in  Railroads      .         .         .         -231 
Reasons  for  the  Revival  of  Interest    .         .         .         .         .232 

1.  Increase  in  Population    ......  232 

2.  Recovery  from  the  Panic  of  1837   ....  232 

3.  Lack  of  Adequate  Transportation  Facilities   .         .  232 

4.  Decline  of  the  Santa  Fe  Trade        ....  232 

5.  Rise  of  Chicago  as  a  Commercial  Center        .         .  233 

6.  Undeveloped  Trade  with  the  Interior  of  the  State  233 
Efforts  to  Obtain  Congressional  Assistance         .         .         -234 

1.  Grant  of  500,000  Acres  in  1841       .  234 

2.  Plans  for  a  Transcontinental  Road          .         .         .  234 
Grant  of  State  Aid     .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .235 

i.    Governor  King's  Proposal  to  the  Legislature  .  235 

^     2.    Law  of  1851 .  235 

3.  Issue  of  State  Bonds  to  the  Amount  of  $24,950,000 

by  1860 236 

Construction  of  the  Roads  ......  236 

1.  Beginning  of  the  Pacific  Railroad  in  1 86 1       .         .  236 

2.  Grant  of  State  Aid  in  1852 237 

3.  Grant  of  Lands  by  Congress 237 

4.  Delay  in  Construction 237 

a.  Legislative  Inquiry     ......  238 

b.  Report  of  the  Legislative  Commission        .         .  238 

5.  Legislative  Grants,  1855 239 

6.  Gasconade  Disaster 239 

7.  Last  Legislative  Grant,  1857  ...                  .  239 
Railroad  Mileage  in  Missouri  in  1860          ....  240 
Default  of  Railroads  in  Payment  of  Interest       .         .         .  240 
Private  Loans  to  the  Railroads 241 


CONTENTS  xxiii 

PAGE 

Railroad  Mileage  in  Missouri  in  1865          .  242 

Sale  of  the  Railroads,  1868 243 

1 .  Amount  Received  from  the  Sale     ....  243 

2.  Farcical  Investigation  of  the  Sale  ....  244 

3.  Conditions  Imposed  on  Purchasing  Companies       .  244 

4.  Liquidation  of  the  State  Debt         ....  245 
County  and  Municipal  Aid  to  Railroads  in  Missouri .         .  245 
Railroad  Development  in  Missouri  since  1865    .         .         .  247 

1.  Establishment  of  Interstate  Systems      .         .         .     247 

2.  Consolidation  of  the  Railroads        ....     249 

CHAPTER   XII 
THE   DOWNFALL   OF   THOMAS   HART   BENTON 

Early  Life  of  Benton 250 

1 .  Removal  to  Tennessee 250 

2.  In  Tennessee  Politics .251 

3.  Service  in  the  War  of  1812 251 

4.  Quarrel  with  Jackson 251 

Early  Career  in  St.  Louis 252 

1.  Entry  into  Politics          ...  .     253 

2.  Editor  of  the  Enquirer 254 

3.  Election  to  the  United  States  Senate      .         .         .256 
Political  Developments  in  Missouri,  1820-44      .         .         .     257 

1.  "  Era  of  Good  Feeling  " 258 

2.  Early  Elections  in  Missouri  Not  on  Party  Lines  .     258 

3.  Missouri  and  the  Presidential  Election  of  1824       .     258 

4.  Formation  of  a  Jackson  Party  in  Missouri      .         .     259 

5.  Formation  of  a  Whig  Party  in  Missouri          .         .261 
Split  in  the  Democratic  Party  in  Missouri          .         .         .261 

1.  "Hards"  and  " Softs" 261 

a.  Benton  a  "Hard"  Money  Man          .         .         .     262 

b.  Opposition  of  the  " Softs"  to  Benton          .         .     262 

2.  Other  Issues 263 

a.  Tenure  of  Judges 263 

b.  Representation  in  the  Legislature       .         .         .  263 

c.  District  System  for  Congressional  Elections       .  264 
Campaign  of  1844 265 

i.    Democratic   State   Convention   Captured  by   the 

"  Hards" 265 


xxiv  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

2.  Ticket  Put  Out  by  the  " Softs"    .         .         .         .265 

3.  Texas  Question 265 

a.  Opposition  of    Benton   to   the   Annexation   of 

Texas 266 

b.  Activity  of  Benton's  Enemies     ....     267 

4.  Victory  of  "Hards"  and  Reelection  of  Benton  to 

the  Senate 268 

Benton's  Last  Term  in  the  Senate 269 

1.  Mexican  War          .......     269 

2.  Wilmot  Proviso      .......     269 

3.  Omnibus  Bill  and  Compromise  of  1850  .         .         .     270 
"  Jackson  Resolutions  "  in  the  Missouri  Legislature  .         .271 

1.  Widespread  Interest  in  the  Question  of  Slavery      .  271 

2.  Text  of  the  Resolutions 272 

3.  Passage  of  the  Resolutions 274 

Benton's  Reply  to  the  Resolutions 274 

1.  His  "Appeal"         .......     274 

2.  His  Canvass  over  the  State    .....     275 

3.  Reply  of  Benton's  Enemies    .         .         .         .         .276 

Division  in  Whig  Party 277 

Benton's  Defeat  in  1851 277 

Causes  of  Benton's  Overthrow 278 

1.  His  Attitude  toward  Slavery  .         .         .         .278 

2.  His  "Appeal"  and  Addresses          .  .         .     279 
The  Sources  of  His  Strength  with  the  People     .         .         .280 

1.  His  Fearlessness 280 

2.  His  Fine  Physique 280 

3.  His  Wide  Knowledge 280 

4.  His  Political  Integrity 281 

5.  His  Belief  in  the  West 281 

Contributing  Causes  of  His  Downfall 281 

1.  His  Vanity  and  Haughtiness  .         .         .         .         .281 

2.  His  Lack  of  Political  Tact 282 

Loss  of  Influence  during  the  Last  Ten  Years  of  Service      .     282 
Later  Career 283 

1.  In  the  House  of  Representatives    ....     283 

2.  Attempt  to  Reenter  the  Senate      .         .         .         .284 

3.  Race  for  the  Governorship 284 

4.  Literary  Efforts 285 

Missouri's  Greatest  Citizen 285 


CONTENTS  XXV 

CHAPTER   XIII 
SLAVERY   IN   MISSOURI 

PAGE 

Indian  Slaves  in  Missouri 286 

Early  Negro  Slavery  in  Missouri 286 

Number  of  Slaves  in  Missouri,  1803-60      ....  287 

1.  Decrease  in  the  Percentage  of  Increase  .         .         .  287 

2.  Increase  in  the  Number  of  Slaves  in  Certain  Parts 

of  the  State 288 

3.  Small  Average  Number  of  Slaves  Held  by  Masters  289 

Value  of  Slaves 290 

Traffic  in  Slaves 290 

Legal  Basis  for  Slavery  in  Missouri    ...  .291 

1.  Treaty  of  1803  and  Constitution  of  1820        .         .291 

2.  Slave  Codes,  1804-60 292 

Civil  Status  of  Slaves  in  Missouri 292 

1.  Disabilities 292 

2.  A  Slave  Not  a  Mere  Thing     .         .         .                  .  293 

3.  Penalties  for  Crimes  and  Misdemeanors          .         .  293 
Relation  between  Masters  and  Slaves         ....  294 
Recovery  of  Fugitive  Slaves        ......  295 

1.  Laws  against  Owners  of  Boats        ....  295 

2.  Laws  against  Assemblies  of  Negroes       .         .         .  295 

3.  Patrols 296 

Abolitionists 296 

1.  Law  against  Teaching  Negroes       .         .                  .  296 

2.  Law  against  Abolitionists        .....  297 

3.  Lovejoy          .                                                             .  297 

4.  Increased  Bitterness  toward  Abolitionists       .         .  298 
Early  Emancipation  Movement  in  Missouri       .         .         .  298 

1.  Scheme  of  1828 299 

2.  Missouri  State  Colonization  Society,  1839      .         .  299 

3.  Manumission  of  Slaves  by  Individual  Masters        .  300 
Free  Negroes .  3°° 

1 .  Constitutional  Provision  Concerning  Free  Negroes  300 

2.  Fear  of  Their  Rapid  Increase          .         .         .         .  301 

3.  Free  Negro  Code,  1835  ....                  .  301 

4.  Later  Laws  against  Free  Negroes  ....  301 


xxvi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER   XIV 
KANSAS   BORDER  TROUBLES,   1855-60 

PAGE 

Region  West  of  the  Mississippi  in  1850       ....  304 
Interest  of  Missourians  in  the  Opening  Up  of  the  Nebraska 

Territory     ........  305 

1.  Petitions  to  Congress 305 

2.  Desire  for  Cheap  Lands 306 

Kansas-Nebraska  Act,  1854 306 

1 .  Delay  of  Congress  . 306 

2.  Passage  of  the  Bill 307 

Rush  to  Kansas 308 

1.  From  Missouri 308 

2.  From  the  East 309 

Attitude  of  Missourians  toward  Immigration  to  Kansas 

from  the  East 309 

1.  As  Shown  by  Newspapers       .         .         .         .         .310 

2.  As  Shown  by  Mass  Meetings          .         .         .         .  311 

Missouri  Defensive  Associations 311 

Missourians  at  the  Kansas  Elections  .         .         .         .312 

1.  Territorial  Delegate        .         .         .         .         .         .312 

2.  Territorial  Legislature 313 

3.  David  Atchison,  Leader  of  the  Missourians  .  314 

4.  New  Elections  in  Six  Districts        .         .         .         -315 
Contest  between  the  Territorial  and  Free  State  Govern 
ments  in  Kansas 315 

Invasions  of  Kansas  by  Border  Ruffians     .         .         .         .  316 

1.  Sacking  of  Lawrence 316 

2.  Dutch  Henry's  Crossing 317 

3.  Destruction  of  the  Ossawotamie     .         .         .         .  318 

4.  Intervention  of  United  States  Troops     .         .         .  318 
Invasions  of  Missouri  by  "Jayhawkers"    ....  319 

1.  Object  of  " Jayhawkers"         .....  319 

2.  Cooperation  of  Governors  of  Missouri  and  Kansas  319 

3.  John  Brown's  Raid  into  Missouri,  1858  .         .  320 

4.  Montgomery's  Raid,  1860       .....  320 

5.  Restoration  of  Order 321 


CONTENTS  XXVll 

CHAPTER    XV 

THE  CIVIL  WAR  —  MISSOURI    DECIDES  TEMPO 
RARILY  AGAINST   SECESSION 

PAGE 

Border  States  and  Secession 322 

Elections  in  Missouri  in  1860 323 

1.  National  Conventions  ......  323 

2.  Results  in  Missouri 323 

a.  Governor 324 

b.  Legislature 324 

c.  President 324 

Attitude  of  the  Legislature  toward  Secession      .         .         .  325 

1.  Message  of  Governor  Stewart         .         .         .  -326 

2.  Inaugural  Address  of  Governor  Jackson          .  .     327 

3.  Provision  Made  for  a  State  Convention          .  -327 

4.  Resolution  against  the  Coercion  of  the  South  .     328 
Election  of  Delegates  to  the  Convention    .  .     329 

1.  "  Conditional  Union  Men  "    .  -329 

2.  "  Unconditional  Union  Men  "  .     330 
First  Session  of  the  Convention           .         .                           .     331 

1 .  Report  of  the  Committee  on  Federal  Relations  .     332 

2.  Consideration  of  Other  Resolutions        .         .  -333 

3.  Adjournment  Subject  to  Call  .     333 
Adjournment  of  the  Legislature  .     333 

CHAPTER   XVI 

THE   CIVIL  WAR  — THE   FIRST  STRUGGLE   FOR 
MISSOURI 

Disappointment  of  Governor  Jackson  over  the  Convention  335 

Jackson  Refuses  to  Comply  with  Lincoln's  Call  .  335 

Jackson  and  the  Federal  Arsenals  in  Missouri    .  .  336 

1 .  Capture  of  the  Liberty  Arsenal       .  .  336 

2.  Plans  to  Capture  the  St.  Louis  Arsenal  .  .  336 

a.  Reassembling  of  the  Legislature  .  337 

b.  Mustering  of  State  Militia  in  Camps  .  337 

c.  War  Material  Secured  from  President  Davis  .  338 
Capture  of  Camp  Jackson  ...  .  339 

1 .  Activity  of  Lyon  and  Blair     .  .     339 

2.  Decision  to  Capture  Camp  Jackson        .         .         .     342 


xxvill  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

3.  Protests  of  General  Frost 342 

4.  The  Capture  of  the  Camp 343 

5.  Clash  between  the  Federal  Troops  and  the  People  344 
Excitement  in  St.  Louis 345 

1.  On  the  Evening  of  May  i  o 345 

2.  On  the  Evening  of  May  1 1 347 

3.  On  Sunday,  May  12 347 

Significance  of  Capture  of  Camp  Jackson  ....  348 

1 .  Passage  of  the  Military  Bill  by  the  Legislature       .  348 

2.  Conversion  of  Conditional  Unionists  into  Seces 

sionists        350 

Price-Harney  Agreement 351 

1.  Terms  of  the  Agreement 351 

2.  Removal  of  Harney 351 

Interview  between  Lyon  and  Jackson  in  St.  Louis      .         .  352 

1.  The  Issue 352 

2.  Failure  to  Reach  Any  Agreement  .         .         .         -353 

3.  Return  of  Jackson  to  the  Capital  .         .         .         -353 
Mobilization  of  Troops 354 

CHAPTER  XVII 

THE    CIVIL    WAR  — THE    SECOND    STRUGGLE    FOR 
MISSOURI 

Jackson's  Call  for  Volunteers 355 

Movement  of  Lyon  up  the  Missouri  River          .         .         -355 

1.  Occupation  of  Jefferson  City 355 

2.  Advance  to  Boonville 356 

3.  Battle  of  Boonville 356 

4.  Lyon's  Proclamation  to  the  People  of  Missouri      .  357 

5.  Significance  of  the  Battle  of  Boonville             .         .  357 
Concentration  of  the  State  Guards  in  the  Southwest          .  358 

1.  Advance  of  Federal  Troops  toward  Springfield       .  358 

2.  Battle  of  Carthage 358 

3.  Price's  Encampment  at  Cowskin  Prairie         .         .  359 
Lyon's  Campaign  around  Springfield           .         .         .         -360 

1 .  Request  for  Reinforcements 360 

2.  Advance  of  Price  to  Cassville          361 

3.  Lyon's  Advance  to  and  Retreat  from  Cassville       .  362 


CONTENTS  xxix 

PAGE 

4.  Differences  between  Price  and  McCulloch      .         .  362 

5.  Battle  of  Wilson's  Creek,  Aug.  10,  1 86 1           .         .  363 

6.  Inability  of  Price  to  Follow  up  his  Victory     .         .  365 
Price's  Campaign  around  Lexington 365 

1.  Battle  of  Lexington,  Sept.  18-20,  1 86 1   .         .         .  365 

2.  Return  of  Price  to  the  Southwest  ....  367 

3.  Plans  of  Fremont  in  the  Southwest         .         .         .  368 
Establishment  of  a  Provisional  Government  by  the  Con 
vention        369 

Declaration  of  Secession  by  the  Legislature        .         .         .  369 

Pea  Ridge  Campaign 370 

1.  Price's  Appeal  for  Reinforcements          .         .         .  370 

2.  Price's  Retreat  into  Arkansas          .         .         .         .  371 

3.  Battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  March  6-8,  1862    .         .         .  371 

4.  Significance  of  Pea  Ridge 372 

a.  On  the  Situation  in  Missouri      ....  372 

b.  In  Other  Fields 372 

Battle  of  Belmont 373 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE   CIVIL  WAR  — THE   LAST   STRUGGLE   FOR 
MISSOURI 

Price  Enters  the  Confederate  Service          ....  374 

1.  Critical  Situation  in  the  South        ....  374 

2.  Departure  of  Price  and  his  Men     ....  374 

3.  Missouri  Brigades 375 

Skirmishes  and  Battles  between  the  Federals  and  the  Con 
federate  Recruiting  Parties          ....  376 

1.  Battle  of  Kirksville,  Aug.  6,  1862  .         .         -377 

2.  Battles  of  Independence  (Aug.  n,  1862)  and  Lone 

Jack  (Aug.  16,  1862) 378 

Discontent  in  Missouri 378 

1 .  Governor  Gamble's  Military  Order         .         .         .  379 

2.  Interference  of  the  Militia 380 

a.  Responsibility  of  Subordinate  Officials  for  Out 
rages        380 


XXX  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

b.  Bitterness  of  the  Confederates  toward  the  State 

Militia 381 

Renewal  of  Border  Warfare 381 

1.  Kansas  "Red  Legs" 381 

2.  Sacking  of  Lawrence  by  Quantrell          .         .         .  382 

3.  "  Order  Number  Eleven " 382 

a.  Execution  of  the  Order 383 

b.  Depredations  of  the  "Red  Legs"       .         .         .     384 

c.  Prairie  Fires       .......     384 

d.  Attempt  at  Justification  of  the  Order         .         -384 
Price's  Raid,  1864 385 

1.  Operations  of  Price  in  Arkansas      .         .         .         .385 

2.  Pilot  Knob  and  Jefferson  City        .         .         .         .386 

3.  Westport 387 

a.  Price's  Advance  to  Independence       .         .         .  388 

b.  The  Three  Days'  Battle 388 

c.  Westport,  the  "Gettysburg  of  the  West"  .         .  389 

4.  Results  of  the  Raid 390 

Missouri  and  the  Civil  War 391 

1.  Military  Engagements  in  Missouri          .         .         .     391 

2.  Number  of  Missourians  Engaged    .  .         .     391 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE   PROVISIONAL   GOVERNMENT   OF   MISSOURI  - 
ITS   PROBLEMS   AND    DIFFICULTIES 

Governor  Jackson  Abandons  Jefferson  City        .         .         .  393 

Provisional  Government  Established 393 

1 .  Second  Session  of  the  Convention  ....  393 

2.  Significance  of  the  Action  of  the  Convention           .  395 
Problems  of  the  Provisional  Government  ....  395 

1.  The  "  Jackson  Government  "          ....  396 

2.  Revenue 396 

3.  Militia 396 

4.  Qualifications  for  Suffrage  and  Office  Holding         .  397 

a.  Ordinance  of  October,  1861         ....  397 

b.  Ordinance  of  June,  1862 397 

5.  Emancipation 398 


CONTENTS  XXXI 

PAGE 

a.  Fremont's  Proclamation 399 

b.  Lincoln's   Scheme   of   "Compensated  Abolish 

ment"     399 

c.  Fourth  Session  of  the  Convention      .         .         .     400 

d.  Ordinance  for  Gradual  Emancipation         .         .     400 
Lincoln  and  the  Radicals  of  Missouri          .         .         .         .401 

1.  Rise  of  Conservatives  and  Radicals        .         .         .401 

2.  Meeting  of  Radicals  at  Jefferson  City    .         .         .     401 

3.  Radical  Delegation  before  Lincoln          .         .         .     402 

4.  Lincoln's  Reply      .  403 

5.  Attempt  of  the  Radicals  to  Defeat  Lincoln    .         .     404 
Ordinance  for  Immediate  Emancipation  in  Missouri  .         .     405 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  RULE   OF   THE   RADICAL  PARTY  IN 
MISSOURI 

Suffrage 4°7 

1.  Leadership  of  Drake  in  the  Convention  of  1865     .     407 

2.  Debates  on  Suffrage 408 

3.  Disqualifications  for  Voting 408 

Disqualifications  for  the  Professions 410 

Adoption  of  the  Constitution  of  1865          .         .         .         .411 

The  Ousting  Ordinance 412 

Radical  Rule  in  Missouri    . 414 

1.  Enforcement  of  the  "Test  Oath"  upon  the  Pro 

fessions        414 

2.  Registry  Acts  of  1866  and  1868      .         .         .         .415 

3.  Radical  Successes  in  1866  and  1868         .         .         .416 
Opposition  to  the  Radicals  in  1866  and  1868      .         .         .416 

1.  Conservative  Unionists,  1866          .  .         .     417 

2.  Democrats,  1868 41? 

3.  Defeat  of  the  Negro  Suffrage  Amendment      .         .418 
Downfall  of  Radicals,  1870 419 

1.  Schism  in  the  Radical  Party  over  Suffrage     .         .     419 

2.  Alliance  between  Democrats  and  Liberals       .         .421 

3.  Passing  of  Drake 422 


XXXll  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XXI 

THE  RETURN   OF   THE   DEMOCRATS  TO   POWER 
IN   MISSOURI 

PAGE 

Campaign  of  1872       ........     424 

1 .  Coalition  between  the  Liberal  Republicans  and  the 

Democrats  ........  424 

2.  Liberal  Republican  National  Convention        .         .  425 

3.  Victory  of  Coalitionists  in  Missouri        .         .         .  426 
Campaign  of  1874 426 

1.  People's  Party,  a  Combination  of  the  Grange  and 

the  Republicans  .         .         .         .         .         .427 

2.  Victory  of  the  Democrats 427 

Democratic  Rule  in  Missouri  since  1874     ....     428 
Constitution  of  1875 429 

1.  Constitutional  Convention      .         .         .         .         .429 

2.  Adoption  of  the  Constitution          .         .         .         .     431 
Demands  for  a  New  Constitution       .....     432 

1 .  Present  Constitution  Too  Long  and  Complicated  .     432 

2.  Its  Inflexibility 433 

3.  Provisions  regarding  Taxation  and  Revenue  .         .     433 

a.  Railroad  Frauds         .         .         .         .         .         -433 

b.  Limitations  on  Taxation    .         .         .         .         -435 

4.  Refusal  of   Legislature  to   Call   a  Constitutional 

Convention         .         .         .         .         .         .         -435 

CHAPTER  XXII 
THE   FREE   SILVER   CAMPAIGN   IN   MISSOURI 

Rise  of  the  Free  Silver  Issue  ......  436 

1.  Greenback  Movement 436 

2.  Populist  Movement 437 

3.  Bland  Silver  Bill,  1877  .         .         .         .  437 

4.  Sherman  Act,  1890  ....                  .  438 

5.  Formulation  of  the  Issue 439 

Free  Silver  Issue  in  Missouri 439 

1 .  Campaign  of  1 894 439 

2.  Pertle  Springs  Convention,  1895     ....  440 

3.  Eland's  Candidacy  for  the  Presidency    .         .         .  440 

4.  Campaign  of  1896 441 


CONTENTS  XXXlll 

CHAPTER  XXIII 

RECENT    ECONOMIC    AND    SOCIAL    DEVELOPMENT 
IN   MISSOURI 

PAGE 

Growth  of  Population  ....  .  443 

Rate  of  Increase  in  Population  from  1810  to  1910  .  443 

Rank  of  Missouri  in  Population  in  the  Nation  .  .  444 

Development  of  Industries  and  Wealth      .  .     445 

Agriculture .....  .  •     445 

Mining         ....  .     446 

Manufactures  and  Commerce  .  .  446 

Taxable  Wealth  .  .  447 

Indebtedness  .  -448 

State  Debt  .  -448 

Certificates  of  Indebtedness  .  .  .  45° 

1.  Origin    of   the    State    School    and    Seminary 

Funds 45° 

2.  Investment  of  these  Funds      ....     450 

3.  Consolidation  of  the  School  Fund    .         .         .     451 

4.  Constitutional  Amendments,  1902  .         .         -452 
Current  Deficiencies    ...  .     452 

Educational  Institutions     ...  .     453 

Education  in  Missouri  prior  to  the  Civil  War      .         .     453 
Education  during  the  Civil  War  .         .  .     455 

Education  since  the  Civil  War     .         .  -455 

1.  Elementary  Schools          ...  .     456 

2.  High  Schools 457 

3.  University  of  Missouri     ...  .     459 

4.  Normal  Schools        ....  .461 

5.  Colleges 462 

Needed  Improvements  .     463 

Prohibition  Movement        .  .                           •  463 

Local  Option  Law  of  1887   ..  .  463 

County  Unit  Law        .         .  •  465 

Constitutional  Amendment          .  .  465 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 4^7 

APPENDIX •  •    471 

INDEX 475 


A    HISTORY    OF 
MISSOURI 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

CHAPTER    I 
EARLY  FRENCH   SETTLEMENTS  IN   MISSOURI,   1735-69 

[Historical  Setting.1  —  The  French  and  Indian  War,  including 
the  Treaty  of  Paris,  1763.] 

WE  shall  begin  our  study  of  the  history  of  Missouri  introduc- 
by  taking  a  survey  of  the  conditions  that  existed  there  tlon 
shortly  after  the  close  of  the  French  and  Indian  War. 
We  might  have  chosen  to  begin  with  the  explorations  of 
Joliet,  Marquette,  and  La  Salle  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  and  thus  have  related  the  story  of 
how  these  French  men,  starting  out  from  Canada,  reached 
the  Mississippi  River  and  in  their  descent  of  that  stream 
passed  along  the  eastern  border  of  what  is  now  Missouri, 
the  first  two  going  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas 
and  the  last  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  itself.  Or  we 
might  have  begun  with  the  explorations  of  DeSoto  in  the 
middle  of  the  sixteenth  century  and  have  followed  him  in 
his  wanderings  from  Tampa  Bay,  Florida,  to  the  Missis 
sippi  River,  and  as  some  claim,  into  southeastern  Mis 
souri.- 

But  for  our  purposes  it  is  not  necessary  that  any  of  these 
explorations  should  be  recounted  here.  Even  if  it  were 
proved  beyond  a  shadow  of  a  doubt  that  DeSoto  actually 
entered  within  the  boundaries  of  the  present  State  of 
Missouri,  his  coming  was  of  no  special  significance  to  the 
history  of  the  State.  And  as  for  Joliet,  Marquette,  and 
La  Salle,  their  voyages  were  primarily  significant  for  the 

1  For  an  explanation  of  the  historical  setting  for  each  chapter,  see 
the  preface. 

i 


MISSOURI 


Territorial 
Losses  of 
France  in 
America, 
i 762-63 


basis  which  they  gave  the  French  for  their  claims  to  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  and  hence  they  mean  no  more  in  the 
history  of  one  of  the  states  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  than 
in  that  of  any  other  in  this  region.  In  fact  they  are  more 
properly  topics  in  American  history  than  in  the  history 
of  any  state,  and  as  such  are  more  or  less  familiar  to  all 
who  know  the  story  of  our  country.  For  these  reasons 
we  have  decided  to  pass  them  over  in  this  book  and  to  come 
at  once  to  matters  that  are  somewhat  local  in  character 
and  yet  have  a  setting  in  the  history  of  the  country  at 
large.  Hence  the  conditions  that  prevailed  in  Missouri 
at  the  time  when,  through  the  reverses  of  war,  France 
lost  her  claims  to  what  is  now  Missouri  and  all  the  rest 
of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  have  been  chosen  for  our 
first  topic. 

It  so  happened  that,  by  the  close  of  the  French  and 
Indian  War,  Spain  and  England  had  divided  between  them 
the  French  possessions  in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  Spain 
taking  all  west  of  the  Mississippi  River  and  also  the  Isle 
of  Orleans,  and  England  all  east  of  that  river  except  the 
Isle  of  Orleans.  The  cessions  made  to  Spain  were  however, 
secret  and  were  not  officially  announced  to  the  French  au 
thorities  in  the  province  of  Louisiana  until  October,  1764, 
two  years  after  France  had  made  her  first  treaty  with 
Spain  regarding  the  matter  ;  and  it  was  not  until  1 766  that 
Spanish  officials  arrived  in  New  Orleans  to  take  possession 
of  what  had  been  ceded  to  Spain.  Indeed,  it  was  not  until 
1769  that  Spain  was  able  to  assume  full  authority  in  her 
new  province.1 

1  The  delay  of  the  Spanish  officials  in  arriving  in  Spain's  new  pos 
sessions  is  attributed  to  the  violent  outburst  of  indignation  which 
arose  from  the  French  settlers  in  Lower  Louisiana  on  hearing  that 
France  had  ceded  their  territory  to  Spain.  Under  these  circum 
stances  vSpain  felt  it  would  be  best  to  defer  assuming  control  of  her 
new  territory  until  this  feeling  of  indignation  had  somewhat  abated. 
Thinking  that  the  treaty  was  merely  a  temporary  and  provisional 
expedient,  and  feeling  that  they  could  prevent  it  from  becoming 
permanent,  the  French  settlers  in  Lower  Louisiana  sent  a  delega- 


EARLY   FRENCH  SETTLEMENTS   IN   MISSOURI          3 

At  that  time  there  were  just  two  settlements  in  what   Early 
is  now  Missouri ;  namely,  Ste.  Gene  vie  ve  and  St.   Louis.   Drench  s^- 

tlements  in 

But  since    we    cannot   well    understand    the   history  or   Illinois 
the  founding  of  these  two  settlements  without  knowing 
something  about  those  that  had  been  made  in  what  is 
now  Illinois,  a   few  words  must  first  be  said  about  the 
latter.1 

In  1769  there  were  at  least  five  French  settlements  in  i.  Location 
what  is  now  Illinois.  They  were  Kaskaskia,  La  Prairie 
du  Rocher  (Rocky  Meadow),  Fort  Chartres,  St.  Philippe, 
and  Cahokia.  These  settlements  were  situated  in  a 
district  that  stretched  along  the  Mississippi  River  for 
about  seventy-five  miles  from  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Missouri  River  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kaskaskia.2  They 
were  of  great  strategic  value  to  the  French  from  both 
a  commercial  and  a  military  point  of  view,  forming  an 

tion  to  France  to  remonstrate  against  the  proposed  cession.  Al 
though  they  could  get  no  satisfactory  assurances  from  the  French 
government,  they  drew  some  hope  from  the  prolonged  delay  of 
Spain  in  taking  formal  possession  of  the  province,  and  were  be 
ginning  to  feel  that  possibly  the  treaty  would  never  be  carried  out, 
when  D'Ulloa  arrived  in  New  Orleans  in  1766  to  assume  control 
in  behalf  of  Spain.  The  French  Supreme  Council  at  New 
Orleans  refused  to  recognize  D'Ulloa  and  finally  ordered  him 
to  leave  the  colony.  Unwilling  to  assume  the  responsibility  of 
taking  forcible  possession,  D'Ulloa  actually  left  Louisiana  in 
October,  1768,  and  returned  to  Spain.  In  1769  O'Reilly  was  sent 
out  by  Spain,  and  he  succeeded  in  taking  formal  possession  of 
Louisiana. 

1  The  term  "  Illinois  country  "  was  used  by  the  French  authorities 
to  designate  roughly  the  Upper  Mississippi  Valley  on  both  sides  of 
the  river,  and  therefore  included  what  are  now  Illinois  and  Missouri. 
Likewise  the  Spanish  authorities  used  the  term  in  a  similar  manner, 
though  they  seem  occasionally  to  have  applied  it  to  the  territory 
south  of  the  Missouri  River  and  north  of  the  Arkansas.    For  the  sake 
of  clearness,  however,  the  terms,  Illinois  and  Missouri  countries,  will 
be  used  in  this  book  to  designate  what  are  now  Illinois  and  Missouri 
respectively. 

2  The  region  in  which  these  five  settlements  were  situated  was 
known  after  the  American  Revolution  as  the  "American  Bottom." 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


Early  French  Settlements 
in  Illinois  and  Mis  four/ 
(Prior to  1765) 


important  connecting  link  between  the  settlements  that 
had  been  established  by  them  along  the  St.  Lawrence 
and  the  Great  Lakes  in  the  seventeenth  century  and 
those  that  had  been  more  recently  established  along 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  the  lower  course  of  the  Mis 
sissippi.1  La  Salle  had  recognized  the  value  of  having 
settlements  in  the  Illinois  country  and  had  attempted 
to  establish  one  near  the  present  city  of  Peoria  in  1680, 
but  had  failed.  It  was  nearly  twenty  years  after  La 


1  Mobile  was  founded  in  1702  and  New  Orleans  in  1718. 


EARLY   FRENCH  SETTLEMENTS   IN   MISSOURI          5 

Salle's  attempt  before  a  permanent  settlement  was  effected 
in  the  Illinois  country,  Cahokia  being  established  in  1699 
and  Kaskaskia  in  1700,  both  by  French  missionaries 
from  Quebec.  The  other  settlements  were  not  begun 
until  some  time  later,  Fort  Chartres  in  1720,  St.  Philippe 
in  1723,  and  Prairie  du  Rocher  in  I733-1 

In  time  Kaskaskia  became  the  largest  and  most  im-  2.  Kaskaskia 
port  ant  of  the  settlements  in  this  region.  This  was  due 
largely  to  its  superior  natural  advantages.  It  stood 
on  the  banks  of  the  Kaskaskia  River,  about  five  or 
six  miles  above  the  junction  with  the  Mississippi. 
Here  boatmen  found  a  good  harbor  which  was  free 
from  many  of  the  dangers  which  they  encountered  along 
the  Mississippi  in  that  region,  such  as  the  caving  in 
of  banks,  the  drifting  of  logs  and  trees,  and  the  heavy 
gales.  Moreover,  the  harbor  was  deep  and  large  enough 
to  enable  them  to  bring  their  boats  near  the  shore  and 
load  and  unload  without  any  difficulty.  Here  also  were 
found  excellent  facilities  for  operating  mills  for  grinding 
grain  and  sawing  lumber.  For  these  reasons  Kaskaskia 
became  the  center  of  trade  on  the  Upper  Mississippi 
some  time  before  I763.2 

At  the  time  the  Treaty  of  Paris  was  made,  in  1763,  there 
were  about  1000  people  living  in  these  five  settlements.3 

1  Meanwhile  no  permanent  settlements  had  as  yet  been  made  in 
Missouri.     The  explanation  for  this  is  doubtless  to  be  found  in  the 
more  favorable  conditions  which  existed  in  the  Illinois  country. 

2  Kaskaskia  continued  to  be  a  place  of  considerable  importance  _ 
for  some  time  after  1763.     It  was  the  capital  of  Illinois  from  1812 
to  1819,  when  the  territory  of  Illinois  was  admitted  as  a  state  into 
the  Union.     After  that  the  place  gradually  declined  in  importance. 
In  recent  years  the  Mississippi  River  broke  through  the  land   and 
joined  the  Kaskaskia  River  where  the  village  of  Kaskaskia   stood, 
and  carried  most  of  it  away.     The  old  church  still  stands,  but  it  is 
on  an  island  on  the  Missouri  side  of  the  Mississippi  River  at  present. 

3  The  white  population  in  these  villages  in  1763  was  as  follows: 
Kaskaskia,  400 ;     Prairie  du  Rocher,  50 ;    Fort  Chartres,  100 ;    St. 
Philippe,  20;    Cahokia,  100  —  total,   670.     The  negro  population 
was  300,  thus  bringing  the  total  up  to  nearly  1000. 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.  Character 
and  Life  of 
the  Settlers 


4.  Govern 
ment 


Most  of  these  people  had  emigrated  from  French  Canada 
by  way  of  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Illinois  River,  having 
been  attracted  by  the  opportunities  for  fur  trading  offered 
by  the  Illinois  country.  They  therefore  devoted  them 
selves  largely  to  hunting  and  trading  with  the  Indians. 
Most  of  their  commerce  in  peltries  was  carried  on  with 
Canada  instead  of  with  New  Orleans,  chiefly  because  the 
warm  climate  subjected  the  pelts  to  decay  ;  notwithstand 
ing  this  danger,  a  good  many  were  from  time  to  time  sent 
down  to  New  Orleans.  Agriculture  and  stock  raising 
were  carried  on  more  or  less  extensively,  and  considerable 
quantities  of  flour,  beer,  wine,  ham,  and  other  provisions 
were  sent  down  the  river  to  New  Orleans.  In  at  least 
two  places,  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia,  there  were  grain 
mills. 

In  each  of  these  settlements  there  was  a  Catholic  church 
or  chapel,  and  in  at  least  two  there  was  a  local  priest  to 
look  after  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  people.  Life  in 
these  villages  was  rather  free  and  easy.  Some  of  the 
settlers  married  Indian  squaws,  while  others  brought  their 
wives  with  them  from  Canada.  The  men  were  super 
stitious  and  ignorant.  They  were  very  active  and  well 
built  physically,  and  were  as  well  able  to  endure  fatigue 
and  hardship  in  hunting  as  were  the  Indians.  Most  of 
them  understood  the  dialects  of  the  neighboring  Indians, 
and  many  of  them  affected  the  manners  of  these  savages. 

The  government  of  these  settlements  prior  to  1765  was 
in  the  hands  of  a  military  officer,  called  the  major  com 
mandant,  who  was  appointed  by  the  governor  of  the 
Colony  of  Louisiana  at  New  Orleans.  The  major  com 
mandant  had  his  headquarters  at  Fort  Chartres  and  had 
extensive  authority,  subject,  however,  to  appeal  to  the 
Council  at  New  Orleans,  not  only  in  criminal  but  also 
in  civil  cases.  His  control  over  the  Indian  trade  was 
said  to  be  so  extensive  that  nobody  could  be  concerned 
in  it  except  on  condition  of  giving  him  part  of  the  profits. 
This,  however,  has  been  denied,  and  it  has  been  asserted 


EARLY   FRENCH   SETTLEMENTS   IN   MISSOURI          7 

that  all  of  the  commandants  were  men  of  high  character, 
and  that  some  of  them  returned  to  France  poorer  than 
they  came. 

Every  person  capable  of  bearing  arms  was  enrolled  in 
the  militia,  and  a  captain  of  the  militia  and  other  officers 
were  appointed  in  each  settlement.  In  three  of  these 
settlements,  Kaskaskia,  Fort  Chartres,  and  Cahokia,  forts 
were  used  as  a  means  of  protection  against  attacks  from 
the  Indians.1  The  captains  of  the  militia  in  the  various 
settlements  had  minor  judicial  power,  about  equal  to 
that  of  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  this  country  to-day. 

Meanwhile,  a  beginning  had  been  made  toward  settling  Temporary 
what  is  now  Missouri.     The  first  two  settlements  that  settlements 
were  attempted,  however,  failed  to  become  permanent,  in  Missouri 
Indeed,  they  proved  to  be  very  temporary.     The  first 
of  these  was  an  attempt  on  the  part  of  some  Jesuit  mission 
aries  to  establish  a  settlement  at  the  junction  of  the  River 
des  Peres  and  the  Mississippi,  which  was  about  six  miles 
south  of  the  original  site  of  St.  Louis,  but  is  now  included 
within  the  limits  of  the  city  along  its  southern  border.    We 
have  some  reason  to  believe  that  this  settlement  was  made 
before  Cahokia  and  Kaskaskia  were  established  on  the   i.  River  des 
Illinois  side,  and  in  fact  it  is  claimed  by  some  to  be  the     er 
first  white  settlement  attempted  on  the  Mississippi  River 
itself.     It  is  said  that  the  settlers  found  the  site  they  had 
selected   unhealthful,   and   that   they   shortly   afterward 
moved  across  the  Mississippi  to  a  prairie  about  twenty- 
five  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Kaskaskia  River.     This 
settlement  came  to  be  known  as  St.  Joseph's  Prairie  from 

1  Before  1769,  however,  the  fort  at  Kaskaskia  had  been  destroyed, 
having  been  burned  in  1766.  Likewise  the  palisade  around  the 
one  at  Cahokia  had  been  torn  down  before  1769,  making  the  fort 
there  totally  ineffective.  Moreover,  the  fort  at  Fort  Chartres 
was  seriously  threatened  by  the  encroachments  of  the  Mississippi 
River  before  1769,  and  was  in  fact  abandoned  in  1772,  when  one 
part  of  the  wall  fell  into  the  river.  From  these  things  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  Illinois  settlements  were  woefully  lacking  in  adequate 
defenses  in  1769. 


8 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


2.  Fort 
Orleans 


(a)  "Great 

Caravan," 

1720 


the  church  which  the  settlers  built  there  and  dedicated  to 
St.  Joseph.  Later  they  moved  to  Kaskaskia,  which  had 
meanwhile  been  established.1 

The  second  of  these  temporary  white  settlements  in 
what  is  now  Missouri  was  called  Fort  Orleans,  and  was 
situated  on  the  Missouri  River  within  the  boundaries  of 
either  the  present  Carroll  County  or  Saline  County.  Early 
in  the  eighteenth  century  the  French  authorities  at  Paris 
and  at  New  Orleans  sent  men  into  what  is  now  Illinois 
and  Missouri  to  search  for  silver.  These  men  failed  to 
find  any  silver,  but  they  did  a  great  deal  of  exploring  in 
these  regions.  Moreover,  the  French  traders  and  hunters 
living  in  Kaskaskia  and  other  Illinois  settlements,  which 
we  have  seen  were  established  in  the  late  seventeenth 
and  the  early  eighteenth  centuries,  soon  made  their  way 
up  the  Missouri  River  on  hunting  expeditions.  All  this 
activity  on  the  part  of  the  French  aroused  the  fears  of  the 
Spanish  at  Santa  Fe,  and  as  a  result  they  fitted  out  an 
expedition  in  1720  to  reconnoiter  the  situation.  This 
expedition  is  popularly  known  as  the  "  Great  Caravan," 
and  it  has  long  been  thought  that  a  large  number  of 
soldiers,  artisans,  and  farmers,  together  with  their  families 
and  flocks  and  herds,  made  up  this  caravan.  But  recent 
investigations  seem  to  make  it  clear  that  there  were  not 
more  than  fifty  soldiers  in  the  expedition,  and  while  there 

1  Some  critics  reject  this  story  of  the  River  des  Peres  settlement. 
They  point  out  that  the  only  authority  for  it  is  Moses  Austin's 
Journal,  written  in  1797,  nearly  a  hundred  years  later,  and  declare 
that  in  none  of  the  "Relations "  of  the  early  missionaries  and  travelers 
is  any  account  given  of  this  settlement.  The  most  that  they  will 
admit  about  it  is  that  there  may  have  been  a  village  at  the  mouth 
of  the  River  des  Peres,  which  was  possibly  a  winter  camp  of  the 
Indians,  who  had  a  missionary  or  two  with  them.  But  when  it  was 
established  and  how  long  it  lasted,  they  do  not  attempt  to  say. 

In  Penicaut's  Journal  he  tells  of  finding  in  1700  some  Frenchmen 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Saline,  about  six  miles  below  what  was  later 
Ste.  Genevieve.  This  is,  according  to  some,  the  very  first  that  we 
know  of  white  people  within  the  present  limits  of  Missouri.  Per 
haps  these  people  were  there  temporarily  to  make  salt. 


EARLY  FRENCH  SETTLEMENTS  IN  MISSOURI          9 

may  have  been  camp  servants,  there  were  no  intending 
settlers.  However  that  may  be,  the  expedition  failed 
completely,  owing  to  an  attack  made  by  hostile  Indians, 
only  one  man  belonging  to  the  ill-fated  expedition  escaping 
with  his  life  to  relate  the  story  of  the  disaster. 

It  has  frequently  been  said  that  the  attempt  of  the  (*) 
Spanish  to  establish  a  post  on  the  Missouri  in  1720,  not- 
withstanding  this  failure,  led  directly  to  the  founding  of  1722-23 
Fort  Orleans  by  the  French  in  1723.  There  are,  how 
ever,  some  reasons  for  doubting  this.  It  is  pointed  out 
that  De  Bourgmont,  who  had  spent  some  years  trading 
with  the  Indians  along  the  Missouri,  had  been  commis 
sioned  captain  and  commandant  of  the  Missouri  in  1720, 
probably  at  about  the  same  time  the  expedition  of  that 
year  met  its  fate.  Moreover,  it  is  known  that  the  in 
structions  given  to  De  Bourgmont  concerning  the 
founding  of  a  post  on  the  Missouri  River  were  de 
livered  to  him  in  1722,  before  the  news  of  the  destruc 
tion  of  the  Spanish  expedition  could  possibly  have  reached 
France. 

At  any  rate,  we  know  that  the  French  realized  that 
Spain  had  claims  to  the  Mississippi  and  the  regions  to  the 
west  on  the  basis  of  the  DeSoto  expedition  of  1542,  and 
that  they  felt  they  must  exert  themselves  quickly  if  they 
were  to  supplant  the  Spanish  in  this  part  of  the  world. 
We  also  know  that  De  Bourgmont  set  sail  from  France 
during  the  summer  of  1722  and,  proceeding  by  way  of 
New  Orleans  and  Fort  Chartres,  finally  reached  the 
Missouri  River  by  the  spring  of  1723,  and  that  by 
the  fall  of  that  year  he  had  erected  a  palisade  on  that 
river,  calling  it  Fort  Orleans  in  honor  of  the  Duke  of 
Orleans. 

The  exact  site  of  Fort  Orleans  cannot  be  determined,   (c)  Site  of 
but  in  all  probability  it  was  not  far  above  the  mouth  of  ] 
Grand  River.     Some  say  it  was  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
Missouri,  near  what  is  now  Malta  Bend  in  Saline  County, 
while  others  hold  it  was  on  the  north  bank  a  little  above 


10 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


(d)  Destruc 
tion  of  Fort 
Orleans,  1726 


Ste.  Gene- 
vieve,  First 
Permanent 
Settlement 
in  Missouri 


i.  Early 
Lead  Mining 
in  Missouri 


(«)  By 
Renault 


the  mouth  of  Wakenda  Creek  in  Carroll  County ;  still 
others  locate  it  on  an  island  in  the  river.1 

However  that  may  be,  the  French  did  not  hold  the  fort 
very  long.  According  to  one  account,  it  was  suddenly 
attacked  by  the  Indians  in  1726,  and  every  person  in  it 
was  killed  and  the  fort  burned  to  the  ground.  According 
to  another  account,  it  was  abandoned  in  1726,  not  because 
of  an  Indian  attack,  but  because  the  French  authorities 
felt  there  was  no  longer  any  danger  of  the  Spanish  at 
tempting  to  get  a  foothold  on  the  Missouri,  and  they 
therefore  allowed  the  fort  to  fall  into  decay. 

The  first  white  settlement  that  proved  to  be  permanent 
within  the  limits  of  the  present  State  of  Missouri  was 
Ste.  Genevieve.  It  was  established  probably  in  1735 
by  people  who  had  been  living  in  Kaskaskia  and  who 
had  been  operating  lead  mines  which  lay  about  thirty 
miles  west  of  the  Mississippi.  Before  an  account 
of  the  founding  of  Ste.  Genevieve  is  related,  some 
thing  should  be  said  about  the  mining  operations  in  that 
vicinity. 

The  early  settlers  in  the  Illinois  country  soon  learned 
from  the  Indians  that  lead  was  to  be  found  in  the  region 
across  the  Mississippi  River.  This  region  proved  to  be 
a  section  of  country  about  seventy  miles  long,  from  the 
head  waters  of  the  St.  Francois  River  to  the  Meramec. 
Rather  extravagant  accounts  of  the  richness  of  this  dis 
trict  in  minerals  made  their  way  to  France,  where  they 
were  readily  believed.  Among  others  who  became  in 
terested  in  these  reports  was  a  man  named  Renault.  He 
secured  large  mineral  grants  in  this  district  from  the  French 
government  in  1723,  and  sailed  with  two  hundred  miners 
and  laborers  and  everything  necessary  to  carry  on  mining 
operations,  including  bricks  for  a  furnace,  on  each  of  which 

1  Recently  the  ruins  of  an  old  fort  and  the  remains  of  French 
weapons  have  been  unearthed  near  Malta  Bend  in  Saline  County. 
These  finds  are  taken  by  some  as  evidence  supporting  the  claim 
that  Fort  Orleans  was  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Missouri  River. 


EARLY  FRENCH  SETTLEMENTS   IN   MISSOURI        1 1 

had  been  stamped  his  name.  On  his  way  to  New  Orleans 
he  stopped  at  San  Domingo,  where  he  purchased  five 
hundred  negroes  to  be  used  in  his  Missouri  mines.  These 
were,  so  far  as  we  know,  the  first  negro  slaves  in  the 
Missouri  country.  After  reaching  New  Orleans,  Renault 
ascended  the  Mississippi  River  in  canoes  up  to  the  Illinois 


RENAULT'S  DIGGINGS 

From  Stevens'  Missouri,  the  Center  Stale,  by  permission  of  the  Missouri 
Historical  Society. 

settlements.  He  carried  on  an  extensive  search  for 
minerals  on  both  sides  of  the  Mississippi,  and  after  twenty 
years  of  rather  unsuccessful  operations,  such  mines  as 
Mine  La  Motte,  Fourche  a  Renault,  and  Mine  a  Breton 
were  opened  up  within  the  limits  of  the  present  southeast 
Missouri.1 

Mining   operations   were   carried   on  in   the   Missouri   (V)  By 
country  not  only  by  such  men  as  Renault,  who  came   p^™^ 
directly  from  France,  but  also  by  people  who  lived  in  the  Settlers 
Illinois  region.     As  they  found  the  ore  rather  near  the 
surface,  they  had  had  no  great  difficulty  in  mining  it. 

For  some  time  these  men  from  the  Illinois  country  not 

1  Mine  La  Motte  got  its  name  from  La  Motte  Cadillac,  who  was 
governor  of  Louisiana,  and  who  made  a  trip  to  Missouri  in  search 
of  silver.  Renault's  mines  were  not  on  the  Meramec  itself,  but  on 
Renault's  Fork  (Fourche  a  Renault)  of  the  Big  River,  which  is  a 
tributary  of  the  Meramec.  Renault  was  the  founder  of  St.  Philippe 
on  the  Illinois  side. 


12 


HISTORY   OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Founding 
of  Ste.  Gene- 
vieve.  1735 


3.  Removal 


only  mined  but  hunted  in  what  is  now  southeastern 
Missouri,  at  the  same  time  retaining  their  homes  in  the 
Illinois  settlements.  They  would  cross  the  Mississippi 
for  a  mining  or  a  hunting  expedition  and  then  return 
home  with  their  lead  or  game. 

Finally,  some  of  these  miners  and  hunters  from  Kaskas- 
kia,  who  had  been  mining  and  hunting  in  the  Missouri 
country,  built  a  few  cabins  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Missis 
sippi  at  a  point  where  they  had  been  accustomed  to  cross 
as  they  passed  back  and  forth  on  their  expeditions.  They 
then  took  up  their  residence  in  these  cabins  and  called 
their  settlement  Ste.  Genevieve.  It  went  also  by  the 
name  of  "Misere."  It  is  not  known  just  when  the  first 
cabins  were  built,  but  it  is  generally  thought  to  have  been 
about  1735.  Some  have  fixed  the  date  rather  definitely 
at  1732.  The  founders  of  this  place  were  led  to  select 
the  site  they  built  upon,  not  only  because  it  was  on  their 
way  from  Kaskaskia  to  the  lead  mines  on  the  Meramec, 
but  also  because  of  the  salt  springs  near  by  and  the  ex 
cellent  bottom  lands  lying  all  around.  Several  persons 
in  the  new  village  soon  began  to  make  salt,  which  they 
disposed  of  to  Indians,  hunters,  and  other  persons  in  the 
near-by  settlements. 

Before  Ste.  Genevieve  was  founded,  the  Illinois  miners 
in  the  Meramec  region  had  been  accustomed  to  take  their 
lead  to  Fort  Chartres,  but  after  Ste.  Genevieve  was  es 
tablished,  they  deposited  it  at  that  place.  The  lead  was 
usually  molded  in  the  shape  of  collars,  which  were  hung 
upon  the  necks  of  the  pack  horses.  Later  it  was  molded 
into  pigs  and  carted  in  two-wheeled  French  carts  called 
charettes.  The  surplus  lead  which  was  not  needed  for 
local  purposes  was  sent  down  the  Mississippi  in  boats  to 
New  Orleans,  and  then  loaded  on  ships  and  sent  to 
France. 

The  first  settlers  of  Ste.  Genevieve  built  their  cabins 

near  the  river'  Just  below  what  was  called  "The  Big 
Common  Field."  But  fifty  years  later,  owing  to  the 


EARLY   FRENCH   SETTLEMENTS  IN  MISSOURI        13 

encroachments  of  the  river,  the  town  was  moved  to  higher 
ground  about  three  miles  up  the  river.  It  was  in  1780 
that  the  banks  of  the  river  began  to  cave  in  along  the 
front  of  the  village,  and  this  forced  the  inhabitants  to 
begin  to  think  of  moving.  In  1784  some  of  them  built 
houses  on  the  site  of  the  present  town  of  Ste.  Gene  vie  ve. 
The  great  overflow  of  the  Mississippi  in  1785,  the  year  of 
the  "  Great  Waters,"  as  the  French  called  it,  caused  many 
more  to  leave  the  old  town  for  the  new  one ;  but  it  was 
not  until  1791  that  the  original  site  was  completely 
abandoned.  Since  then  this  site  has  been  entirely  washed 
away.  After  the  new  town  was  established,  a  still  greater 
number  of  people  came  from  Kaskaskia  to  take  up  their 
residence  here.1 

It  was  nearly  thirty  years  after  Ste.  Genevieve  was  St.  Louis, 
founded   that   St.    Louis,    the   second   permanent  .white  ^eer^n°ent 
settlement  in  what  is  now  Missouri,  was  established.     In   Settlement 
1762  Maxent,  a  wealthy  merchant  of  New  Orleans,  ob-   in  Missouri 
tained  from  the  French  governor  of   Louisiana  a  grant 
giving  him  the  exclusive  right  to  trade  with  the  Indians 
on  the  Missouri  River  for  a  period  of  eight  years.2     Maxent   i.  Grant  to 
associated  with  himself  a  man  by  the  name  of  Pierre  ^tede'and 
Laclede  Liguest,  commonly  known  as  Laclede.     It  seems   Company 
that  the  former  furnished  the  money  for  the  enterprise 
and  the  latter  agreed  to  conduct  it.     The  firm  was  known 
as  Maxent,  Laclede  and  Company,  or  commonly  as  "The 
Louisiana  Fur  Company." 

1  Ste.  Genevieve  never  grew  to  be  a  large  place.     By  1800  it  had 
a  population  of  1792,  and  since  then  its  population  has  not  varied 
much  from  that  number.     Only  once  has  the  population  exceeded 
2000,  and  that  was  in  1850,  when  it  reached  2258.     In  1910  it  was 
1967.     Owing  to  a  change  in  the  course  of  the  Mississippi  River, 
the  present  town  of  Ste.  Genevieve  is  now  three  miles  west  of  that 
river. 

2  A  test  case  was  made  in  1765  of  this  grant  conferring  the  ex 
clusive  right  to  the  Indian  trade  on  the  Missouri  River,  and  the 
Supreme  Council  at  New  Orleans  decided  against  the  company's 
claims  to  that  right. 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Selection 
of  the  Site 
by  Laclede 


PIERRE  LACLEDE 
The  founder  of  St.  Louis 

From  Stevens'  Missouri, 
the  Center  Slate,  by  permis 
sion  of  the  Missouri  Histor 
ical  Society. 


for  a  settlement 
would  become  the  center 
of  the  trade  operations 
which  his  firm  was  going 
to  carry  on  with  the  In 
dians.  He  finally  decided 
upon  a  low  bluff  a  few 
miles  south  of  the  Mis 
souri  River.  Here  the 
channel  of  the  Mississippi 
ran  near  the  shore,  which 
made  it  possible  to  bring  the 
boats  close  to  the  landing. 
The  bank  was  high  enough 
to  give  protection  from 
floods,  but  not  so  high  as 
to  interfere  with  loading 


Preparations  having  been  com 
pleted,  Laclede  left  New  Orleans  on 
August  3,  1763,  and  sailed  up  the 
Mississippi  to  Ste.  Genevieve,  arriv 
ing  there  about  three  months  later, 
after  a  very  tedious  journey.  He 
had  under  his  command  a  large  force 
of  mechanics,  trappers,  and  hunters, 
and  he  brought  with  him  a  suitable 
lot  of  merchandise  to  trade  with  the 
Indians.  Finding  no  accommoda 
tions  for  his  stores  at  Ste.  Gene 
vieve,  he  proceeded  farther  up  the 
river  to  Fort  Chartres.  Here  he 
found  a  place  to  store  his  goods 
and  also  a  home  for  his  family. 

During  the  month  of  December, 
Laclede  searched  along  the  west 
bank  of  the  Mississippi  as  far  north 
as  the  Missouri  for  a  suitable  place 
which 


MADAME  CHOUTEAU,  WIFE  OF 
LACLEDE 

From  Houck's  History  of  Missouri. 


EARLY  FRENCH  SETTLEMENTS   IN   MISSOURI        15 


1764 


and  unloading  the  cargoes ;  and  back  from  the  bank 
was  a  bench  of  level  ground  broad  enough  for  the  pro 
posed  village.  Laclede  not  only  saw  these  advantages 
of  the  place,  but  also  was  impressed  by  its  beautiful 
surroundings.  On  returning  to  Fort  Chartres  he  is 
said  to  have  remarked  to  Governor  De  Noyen  and  his 
officers  :  "I  have  found  a  situation  where  I  intend  estab 
lishing  a  settlement  which,  in  the  future,  shall  become  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  cities  of  the  world." 

In  February,  1764,  the  river  was  sufficiently  free  from  3-  Founding 
ice  to  enable  Laclede  to  send  his  stepson,  Auguste  Chou- 
teau,  a  boy  only  thirteen 
and  a  half  years  old,  by 
boat  to  the  chosen  site 
with  orders  to  begin  erect 
ing  buildings.  Chouteau 
landed  there  on  February 
15,  and  put  to  work  the 
men  and  boys  who  had 
been  sent  with  him.  La 
clede  came  over  a  little 
later,  leaving  his  family 
for  the  time  being  at 
Cahokia.  By  fall  he  was 
able  to  move  his  family 
to  St.  Louis  and  to  house 
them  in  the  building 
which  had  been  erected  AUGUSTE  CHOUTEAU 


From  Stevens'  Missouri,  the  Center 
State,  by  permission  of  the  Missouri    4.  Plan  of 
Historical  Society.  the  Village 


for  him. 

The  plan  of  the  village, 
as  it  was  laid  out  by  La 
clede,  provided  for  only  one  street  parallel  with  the  river, 
which  he  named  La  Rue  Roy  ale  or  Royal  Street.  The 
name  was  later  changed  to  La  Rue  Principale  or  Principal 
Street,  and  still  later  to  Main  Street,  its  present  name. 
In  the  course  of  the  next  twenty  years  two  other  streets 
parallel  to  the  first  one  were  laid  off  and  were  called  La 


i6 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Rue  de  L'Eglise  (Church 
Street)  and  La  Rue  des 
Granges  (Barn  Street). 
They  are  now  known  as 
Second  and  Third  streets. 
Cross  streets  running 
west  from  the  river  were 
also  laid  off.  For  a  long 
time  the  village  remained 
"under  the  hill,"  that  is, 
on  the  first  terrace  that 
runs  immediately  above 
the  bank  of  the  river.  It 
was  several  years  before 
the  town  "climbed  the 
hill"  just  west  of  Third 
street. 

Laclede  selected  as  the 
site  of  his  residence  a  tract 
or  square  bounded  by  what 
are  now  called  Main,  Sec 
ond,  Walnut,  and  Market 
streets.  The  block  ad 
joining  his  on  the  east  was 
called  La  Place  d'Armes  (The  Place  of  Arms),  and  on  the 
block  directly  to  the  west  was  built  the  first  church  in  the 
village.  From  that  day  to  this  there  has  always  been  a 
Catholic  church  building  on  this  block.  The  building 
now  standing  on  it  is  the  old  cathedral  of  St.  Louis. 

There  was  nothing  in  the  grant  that  had  been  given  to 
Maxent,  Laclede  and  Company  which  authorized  them 
to  lay  out  a  settlement  or  to  assign  to  different  persons 
tracts  of  land.  But  Laclede  did  both  of  these  things,  and 
later  the  government  conferred  legal  titles  to  the  land 
upon  the  people  to  whom  grants  had  been  made  by  him. 

1  See  the  map  of  St.  Louis  in  Chapter  XVI  for  the  location  of  the 
original  village  within  the  limits  of  the  present  city  of  St.  Louis. 


u 

n 

w    Ol»v«    5tr« 

u 

i 

Q 

' 

- 

B,o<» 

:  iAcuofj 

j 

low    Elm     5(rl 

: 

PLAN  OF  ST.  Louis,  1 764-80  l 

Adapted  from  Scharf's  History  of 
St.  Louis. 


EARLY  FRENCH  SETTLEMENTS  IN  MISSOURI        17 

Laclede  named  the  settlement  St.  Louis,  in  honor  of  5.  Names 
France's  most  noted  king,  Louis  IX,  commonly  known  as 
St.  Louis,  who  reigned  in  the  thirteenth  century.  The 
town  was  often  called  in  early  days  "Laclede's  Village," 
in  honor  of  Laclede;  it  also  went  by  the  name  of  "Pain 
Court "  (short  of  bread),  probably  because  of  the  difficulty 
which  the  settlers  had  in  raising  sufficient  food  supplies 
for  themselves.  The  people  of  Kaskaskia  are  said  to  have 


LACLEDE'S  HOUSE  IN  ST.  Louis 
From  Houck's  History  of  Missouri. 

been  responsible  for  the  derisive  nicknames  which  many  of 
the  villages  in  what  is  now  Missouri  bore  in  early  times, 
such  as  "Pain  Court"  for  St.  Louis  and  "Misere"  for 
Ste.  Gene  vie  ve. 

As  far  as  we  know,  Ste.  Genevieve  and  St.  Louis  were  Spanish 
the  only  existing  settlements  in  what  is  now  Missouri   Moutho 
when  O'Reilly  arrived  in  New  Orleans  in  1769  to  assume  the  Missouri 
the    duties    of    commandant    general    for    the    Spanish 
government  over  the  province  of  Louisiana,  unless  the 
garrison  in  the  fort  built  in  1767  by  that  government  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Missouri  River  be  called  a  settlement. 

In  1766  the  Spanish  government  sent  D'Ulloa  to  New 
Orleans  to  take  control  of  the  newly  acquired  territory, 
but  since  he  found  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  get  it 
unless  he  used  force,  he  declined  to  do  so  and  finally  re 
turned  to  Spain  in  1768.  But  while  in  New  Orleans  he 


River 


i8 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Conditions 
in  Missouri, 
1765-70 

i.  Emigra 
tion  from 
French 
Illinois  Set 
tlements  into 
Missouri 


sent  a  body  of  men  under  Captain  Rui  up  the  Mississippi 
to  establish  two  forts  at  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  one 
on  the  north  bank  and  one  on  the  south.  The  reason 
assigned  by  D'Ulloa  for  projecting  these  forts  was  to  keep 
the  English,  who  were  then  holding  territory  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Mississippi,  from  attempting  to  ascend  the 
Missouri  and  establishing  settlements  there.  It  was 
later  found  advisable  to  erect  only  one  of  these  forts,  the 
one  on  the  south  bank.  To  this  fort  was  given  the  rather 
high-sounding  name  of  "El  Principe  de  Asturias  —  Senor 
Don  Carlos,"  in  honor  of  Charles,  Prince  of  the  Asturias 
and  heir  apparent  to  the  throne  of  Spain.  A  block  house 
was,  however,  built  on  the  north  side  of  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  to  which  was  given  the  name  of  "Don  Carlos 
Tercero  el  Rey,"  in  honor  of  Charles  III,  King  of  Spain. 
But  as  the  garrison  in  the  fort  built  on  the  south  side  was 
always  small,  and  as  no  permanent  settlement  developed 
therefrom,  we  may  disregard  it  in  this  connection  and 
consider  that,  as  has  been  said,  there  were  in  1769  only 
two  white  settlements  in  what  is  now  Missouri,  namely, 
Ste.  Gene  vie  ve  and  St.  Louis.1 

But  by  this  time  these  two  settlements  had  grown 
considerably,  their  population  numbering  between  900 
and  1000.  The  chief  cause  for  this  growth  had  been  the 
emigration  of  the  French  from  their  settlements  in  the 
Illinois  country.  By  the  time  Laclede  had  begun  to 
establish  St.  Louis,  the  French  settlers  in  the  Illinois 
country  had  heard  of  the  cession  of  Louisiana  that  had 
been  made  by  France  to  England  and  Spain.  They  were 

1  It  is  frequently  stated  in  the  different  histories  of  Missouri  that 
Carondelet  was  founded  in  1767.  If  that  were  the  case,  this 
place  should  be  included  in  the  account  that  is  being  given  in  this 
chapter.  But,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  nothing  had  been  done  by  1769 
toward  founding  the  settlement  that  ultimately  came  to  be  known 
as  Carondelet  except  that  in  1767  Delor  de  Treget  had  built  a  stone 
house  near  the  mouth  of  the  River  des  Peres.  As  far  as  is  known, 
no  village  had  grown  up  around  his  residence  by  1769.  An  account 
of  the  founding  of  this  village  will  be  given  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 


EARLY   FRENCH  SETTLEMENTS   IN  MISSOURI        19 

considerably  disturbed  over  this,  particularly  over  the 
cession  of  territory  to  England.  In  all  probability 
Laclede  took  advantage  of  this  disturbed  state  of  mind 
of  the  French  settlers  in  the  Illinois  country,  and  doubtless 
urged  them  to  move  to  the  new  village  he  was  going  to 
lay  out.  It  has  also  been  suggested  that  he  advised  the 
French  officials  at  Fort  Chartres,  who  had  jurisdiction 
over  not  only  the  Illinois  settlements,  but  also  those  in  the 
Missouri  country,  to  make  St.  Louis  the  seat  of  govern 
ment  of  France  for  the  Missouri  region  as  soon  as  the 
English  should  take  possession  of  the  Illinois  country. 
However  this  may  be,  it  is  a  fact  that  as  soon  as  the  English 
officers  arrived  to  assume  control  of  the  Illinois  country 
in  1765,  the  French  proceeded  to  abandon  their  homes 
there  in  large  numbers  and  to  move  either  down  to  New 
Orleans  or  across  the  Mississippi  to  the  Missouri  country.1 

St.  Philippe  was  abandoned  by  its  entire  population, 
excepting  the  captain  of  the  militia,  and  it  is  said  that  the 
people  of  this  village  actually  tore  down  their  homes  and 
carried  them  across  the  river  to  the  Missouri  country. 
All  the  inhabitants  of  Fort  Chartres,  except  three  or  four 
families,  moved  to  Missouri,  and  many  came  also  from 
the  other  settlements  in  the  Illinois  country.2 

Life  in  these  two  villages,  Ste.  Gene  vie  ve  and  St.  Louis, 
was  marked  with  a  good  deal  of  license  and  laxity  of 

1  Comparatively  few  went  to  New  Orleans.     Eighty  accompanied 
the  Commandant,  De  Villiers,  to  that  place  in  June,  1 764,  but  many 
of   them   afterward   came   back.     Most   of   the   Illinois   emigrants 
crossed  the  Mississippi  into  the  Missouri  country. 

2  Captain  Stirling,  the  English  commissioner,  who  took  formal 
possession  of  the  territory  which  England  had  acquired  by  the 
Treaty  of  Paris,  wrote  in  1765  that  he  had  done  all  in  his  power 
to  prevent  the  French  from  abandoning  their  homes  in  the  Illinois 
country  and  going  to  the  Missouri  side ;   but  since  he  was  not  in  a 
condition  to  send  troops  to  the  ferries  at  Cahokia  and  Kaskaskia, 
he  could  not  check  their  emigration.     He  furthermore  said  that 
unless  gentle  methods  were  used,  the  few  that  remained  would 
also  leave. 


20 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Life  in 
the  French 
Settlements 
in  Missouri 


3 .  Arrival  of 
Piernas  in 
St.  Louis, 
1770 


conduct,  if  we  are  to  believe  a  report  that  was  made  in 
1769  to  O'Reilly  by  Piernas,  who  had  served  as  com 
mandant  on  the  Missouri  prior  to  O'Reilly's  arrival. 
Religion  was  said  to  have  been  wholly  neglected,  and 
everybody  did  as  he  pleased.  Besides  the  inhabitants 
who  were  settled  in  the  villages,  there  were  many  un 
attached  persons  who  wandered  around  over  the  country, 
spending  their  time  in  hunting  and  in  immoral  excesses 
between  their  hunts.  Perhaps  conditions  were  not  as 
bad  as  Piernas  painted  them,  but  we  are  doubtless  safe 
in  concluding  that  life  was  far  from  being  orderly  or 
elevating  at  this  time. 

After  assuming  control  of  affairs  at  New  Orleans, 
O'Reilly  sent  Piernas  to  take  charge  of  the  upper  portion 
of  the  colony.  When  Piernas  arrived  in  St.  Louis  in 
May,  1770,  he  found  St.  Ange  in  charge  of  matters.1 
St.  Ange  had  been  the  French  governor  of  Upper  Louisiana 
at  the  time  when  France  ceded  the  whole  of  Louisiana  to 
England  and  Spain,  and  had  moved  in  1765  from  Fort 
Chartres  with  his  garrison  to  St.  Louis  when  the  English 
officials  reached  the  Illinois  country  to  assume  control. 
It  is  rather  significant  that  O'Reilly  in  his  instructions  to 
Piernas  enjoined  him  to  do  all  he  could  to  make  the 
domination  of  Spain  loved  and  respected  in  the  Missouri 
country. 

The  population  of  St.  Louis  did  not  increase  as  rapidly 
in  the  next  few  years  after  1770  as  it  had  in  the  five  years 
previous,  inasmuch  as  the  French  in  the  Illinois  country 
had  by  1770  recovered  from  their  alarm  over  the  ac 
quisition  of  that  territory  by  the  English,  and  had  stopped 
their  emigration  to  the  Missouri  region. 

1  Owing  to  the  numerous  grants  of  lots  that  St.  Ange  made  to 
settlers  in  St.  Louis  from  1766  to  1770,  he  has  been  called  the 
"legal  founder  of  St.  Louis." 


EARLY   FRENCH  SETTLEMENTS   IN   MISSOURI        21 

REFERENCES 

[For  an  explanation  as  to  the  character  of  the  references  given  at  the  close  of 
each  chapter,  see  the  preface.] 

Explorations  of  Marquette,  Joliet,  and  La  Salle  —  Carr,  Missouri, 
ch.  i.  Houck,  History  of  Missouri,  vol.  i,  ch.  vi.  A  most  elaborate 
work  on  the  early  periods  of  Missouri  history.  The  author  is  one 
of  Missouri's  most  distinguished  citizens.  He  has  been  exceedingly 
generous  in  the  use  of  his  means  and  time  in  investigating  the  early 
history  of  the  State  and  has  brought  to  light  for  the  first  time  much 
historical  material.  His  work  stands  unparalleled  in  the  writing 
of  Missouri  history,  for  which  he  deserves  the  gratitude  of  all 
patriotic  Missourians.  Hosmer,  Short  History  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley,  ch.  ii.  Thwaites,  France  in  America,  ch.  iv.  Parkman,  La 
Salle  and  the  Discovery  of  the  Great  West.  The  great  classic  on  the 
early  French  explorations  of  the  Mississippi. 

Early  Illinois  Settlements  —  Alvord,  The  Country  of  Illinois,  in 
the  Illinois  Historical  Society  Collections,  vol.  ii,  Introduction.  A 
very  detailed  and  scholarly  account  of  the  early  French  settlements 
in  Illinois,  written  from  recently  discovered  documents.  Pittman, 
The  Present  State  of  European  Settlements  on  the  Mississippi,  pp. 
84-93,  99-105.  This  book  was  written  by  an  English  army  captain 
who  served  in  the  Florida  and  Illinois  regions  during  the  later 
sixties  of  the  eighteenth  century.  It  was  written  to  impress  the 
English  people  with  the  advantages  of  possessing  the  Floridas 
and  the  Mississippi,  and  was  published  originally  in  1770.  Re 
printed  in  1906.  Thwaites,  France  in  America,  ch.  v. 

River  des  Peres  Settlement  and  Fort  Orleans — Houck,  i,  ch. 
viii.  Stipes,  "Fort  Orleans,"  in  the  Missouri  Historical  Review, 
April,  1914,  pp.  121-136.  A  sketch  of  the  fort  and  an  effort  to 
settle  the  question  as  to  its  exact  location. 

Early  Lead  Mining  in  Missouri — Houck,  i,  ch.  ix. 

Founding  of  Ste.  Genevieve  and  St.  Louis — Houck,  i,  pp.  337- 
355  ;  ii,  1-33.  Carr,  ch.  ii.  Pittman,  pp.  94-96. 

Spanish  Forts  on  the  Missouri  River  —  Houck,  Spanish  Regime, 
vol.  i,  pp.  1-35.  In  this  work  of  two  volumes  there  have  been  brought 
together  the  most  important  documents  on  the  Spanish  period  of 
Missouri  history  that  were  unearthed  by  Mr.  Houck  during  his 
researches.  The  originals  of  these  documents  are  in  the  archives 
at  Seville. 


CHAPTER   II 


George 

Rogers 

Clark 

Expedition, 

1778-79 


i.  Coopera 
tion  of 
Spanish 
Authorities 
at  New  Or 
leans  with 
Virginia 


THE   ENGLISH   ATTACK   UPON   ST.    LOUIS   IN    1780 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  George  Rogers  Clark  Expedition 
of  1778-79,  and  the  alliance  made  in  1778  between  France  and 
the  revolting  English  Colonies  in  America.] 

IN  1780  the  English  made  an  attack  upon  the  little 
village  of  St.  Louis,  which  was  at  that  time  under  the 
government  of  Spain,  having  been  acquired  as  a  part  of 
the  territory  which  had  been  ceded  by  France  to  Spain 

by  the  Treaty  of  Fontaine- 
bleau  in  1 7  6  2 .  In  order  that 
we  may  understand  what 
induced  the  English  to  make 
this  attack,  we  must  remind 
ourselves  of  the  George 
Rogers  Clark  Expedition  in 
1778-79,  and  of  the  relations 
between  England  and  Spain 
at  that  time. 

The  Clark  Expedition, 
which  had  resulted  in  the 
capture  of  the  English  posts 
of  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia  in 
what  is  now  Illinois,  and  of 

Vincennes  in  what  is  now  Indiana,  had  been  carried  out 
under  the  authority  and  with  the  assistance  of  Patrick 
Henry,  governor  of  Virginia.  But  Governor  Henry  seems 
to  have  had  in  mind  more  than  one  plan  of  harassing  and 
attacking  the  English.  This  is  evident  from  the  fact 
that,  even  before  the  Clark  Expedition  was  undertaken, 


GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK 


THE  ENGLISH  ATTACK   UPON   ST.   LOUIS  IN   1780      23 

he  had  been  negotiating  with  the  Spanish  governor  at 
New  Orleans  for  assistance  against  the  English.  As  a 
result  of  these  negotiations,  arms,  ammunition,  and  pro 
visions  were  sent  by  the  Spanish  authorities  at  New 
Orleans  to  the  Americans  who  were  living  in  certain 
Mississippi  River  posts  and  along  the  frontiers  of  Vir 
ginia  and  Pennsylvania.  Moreover,  English  vessels  along 
the  lower  Mississippi  were  seized  and  confiscated,  on  the 
order  of  the  Spanish  governor,  with  such  success  that  by 
1778  the  British  flag  had  been  completely  excluded  from 
that  river. 

From  these  facts  it  will  be  seen  that  there  was  close   2.  Declara- 
cooperation  between  the  Spanish  authorities  in  Louisiana   by  Spain af 
and  the  Americans  for  some  time  before  Spain  declared   against  Eng- 
war  against  England  in  1779.     In  April  of  that  year  she      n  >I779 
made  a  treaty  of  alliance  with  France  against  England, 
and  in  the  following  June  she  issued  her  formal  declara- 
tion  of  war.     France  had  been  at  war  with  England  about 
one  year  at  the  time  when  Spain  took  this  step.     Judging 
from  the  treaty  made  between  France  and  Spain,  one 
would  say  that  the  chief  object  of  Spain  in  declaring  war 
against  England  seems  to  have  been  to  get  the  territory 
which  the  English  had  acquired  from  France  east  of  the 
Mississippi  River  by  the  Treaty  of  Paris  in  1763.     Shortly 
after  Spain  declared  war  upon  England,  Galvez,  the  Span 
ish  governor  at  New  Orleans,  took  possession  of  several 
English  posts,  among  which  were  Fort  Manchac,  Baton 
Rouge,   and  Natchez  on  the  lower  Mississippi,  and  Mo 
bile  and  Pensacola  in  Florida. 

Meanwhile,  Clark  had  captured  Kaskaskia,  Cahokia,   3.  Capture 
and  Vincennes.     Moreover,  he  had  received  active  as-   ^^}moi?>^ 

settlements 

sistance  from  the  French  settlers  in  the  Missouri  country 
in  the  form  of  food  supplies,  thus  making  it  easier  for 
him  to  retain  his  hold  upon  the  territory  which  he  had 
captured. 

It  was,  therefore,  a  very  interesting  combination  of 
circumstances  that  led  England  in  1780  to  turn  her  atten- 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Plan  of 
England  for 
an  Expedi 
tion  down 
the 
Mississippi 


nx  x  x  x  x  Route  <y  George  Rogers  Cl 

Route  of  Indians  1780 

*#  *  *  Route  of  Hamilton 


MAP    SHOWING    THE    ROUTE    OF     GEORGE    ROGERS     CLARK    (1778)    AND 
THE    ROUTE    OF    THE    INDIANS    AGAINST    ST.    LOUIS    (1780) 

tion  to  the  situation  along  the  Mississippi.  She  had 
sustained  losses  at  the  hands  of  the  Americans  under  Clark 
in  the  Illinois  and  Indiana  regions,  and  also  at  the  hands 
of  the  Spanish  under  Galvez  along  the  lower  Mississippi. 
Naturally  she  wanted  to  recover  these  losses.  Moreover, 
the  territory  west  of  the  Mississippi,  which  was  famed  for 
its  productive  fur  trade,  from  which  she  had  hitherto 
been  cut  off,  was  in  the  hands  of  Spain,  which  had  recently 
joined  France  in  war  against  her  ;  and  finally,  this  territory 
was  inhabited  by  French  who  were  friendly  to  the  Ameri 
cans.  England  therefore  considered  the  moment  as  op- 


THE  ENGLISH  ATTACK  UPON  ST.   LOUIS  IN   1780      25 

portune  to  attempt  not  only  the  recovery  of  the  places 
that  had  been  seized  by  Clark  and  Galvez  east  of  the 
Mississippi  River,  but  also  the  capture  of  the  whole  of 
Spanish  Louisiana.  Plans  accordingly  were  laid  for  the 
seizure  of  St.  Louis  and  of  the  Illinois  villages,  and  for  a 
descent  upon  New  Orleans.  It  is  because  the  attack  upon 
St.  Louis  in  1780  was  a  part  of  this  comprehensive  scheme 
of  conquest  that  the  event  has  any  historical  significance 
which  would  justify  our  giving  it  attention  here. 

The  English  authorities  evidently  planned  to  depend 
very  largely  upon  the  Indians  for  the  success  of  these 
campaigns,  and  for  this  purpose  several  tribes  in  the 
region  of  the  Great  Lakes  were  enlisted  in  the  cause. 
In  May,  1780,  a  force  of  almost  950  traders,  servants, 
and  Indians,  under  the  leadership  of  a  man  named  Hesse, 
set  out  from  the  portage  of  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers 
for  St.  Louis,  a  journey  of  about  500  miles.1  They  came 
down  the  Wisconsin  to  the  Mississippi,  and  thence  down 
the  Mississippi  to  St.  Louis.  At  the  same  time  the 
English  organized  three  other  expeditions,  made  up  largely 
of  Indians,  and  sent  them  from  the  region  of  the  Great 
Lakes  into  what  are  now  Illinois,  Indiana,  and  Ohio. 

St.  Louis  was  at  the  time  of  the  attack  a  village  of  about  St.  Louis 
120  houses,  built  chiefly  of  stone,  and  had  a  population  m  I78° 
of  about  800,  most  of  whom  were  French.2     The  village 
was  in  a  fairly  flourishing  condition,  owing  to  the  great 

1  While  the  Indian  forces  were  being  brought  together,  a  boat 
belonging  to  Charles  Gratiot,  a  merchant  at  Cahokia,   was  cap 
tured  by  a  detachment  of  Indians  at  Prairie  du  Chien  in  March, 
1780.     There  is  some  ground,   however,   for  suspecting  that  the 
cargo  was  intended  as  supplies  for  the  Indians  and  was  being  gathered 
for  the  expedition  down  the  Mississippi  and  not  for  trade.     At  any 
rate,  the  Indians  were  supplied  with  provisions  and  ammunition  from 
the  pillage  of  the  boat,  without  which,  it  has  been  asserted,  the  expe 
dition  against  vSt.  Louis  could  not  have  been  very  well  carried  out. 

2  St.  Louis  was  known  to  the  English  as  Paincourt  or  Pencour 
or  Pancors,  which  meant  "short  of  bread."     In  all  of  their  official 
documents  it  is  never  mentioned  by  the  name  of  St.  Louis. 


26  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

activity  of  the  fur  trade  that  was  centered  there.  The 
Spanish  garrison  contained  about  fifty  men  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Fernando  de  Leyba.  Several  new 
villages  had  been  established  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis 
since  it  had  been  founded,  among  which  were  St.  Charles 
and  Carondelet. 

The  village  of  St.  Louis  was  in  no  condition  to  defend 
itself  against  any  well-organized  attack.1  Like  practically 
all  the  other  early  French  settlements  in  the  Illinois  and 
Missouri  regions,  it  was  open  and  undefended.  In 
this  respect  these  French  settlements  differed  from  those 
which  had  been  made  by  the  Americans  in  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee,  in  that  the  early  settlers  in  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee  always  regarded  the  Indians  as  their  enemies, 
and  hence  invariably  built  stockaded  posts,  while  the 
French  made  friends  of  the  Indians  and  left  their  settle 
ments  largely  unprotected.  But  when  word  was  brought 
to  St.  Louis  the  last  of  March,  1780,  by  a  trader  who  was 
going  down  the  Mississippi,  that  there  were  rumors  of 
an  Indian  expedition  against  the  settlements  in  that 
region,  preparations  for  defense  were  begun.  When  the 
rumor  was  Confirmed  by  another  traveler  from  the  upper 
Mississippi  region,  the  post  at  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri 
was  evacuated  and  the  fort  blown  up,  and  all  the  other 
outposts  were  called  in.  A  platform  or  tower  was  erected 
at  one  end  of  the  village  of  St.  Louis,  upon  which  were 
placed  five  cannons ;  in  addition,  intrenchments  were 
thrown  up  about  the  village.  Scouts  were  sent  out  and 
cavalrymen  were  stationed  around  the  village  as  picket 
guards.  A  force  of  29  regulars  and  281  villagers  manned 
the  intrenchments  during  the  attack. 

The  Indians  reached  the  village  at  about  one  o'clock 
on  the  afternoon  of  May  26,  1780.  They  had  left  their 

1  Soon  after  this  attack  the  people  of  St.  Louis  erected  a  line  of 
permanent  fortifications  around  the  village,  and  they  guarded  it 
faithfully  for  a  long  time.  The  Indians,  however,  never  made 
another  attack  upon  the  place  after  this  one  of  1780. 


THE   ENGLISH  ATTACK  UPON  ST.   LOUIS  IN   1780      27 

canoes  at  a  place  about  fourteen  miles  above  St.  Louis,  The  Attack, 
where  they  had  divided  themselves  into  two  groups,  one 
going  down  the  west  bank  to  St.  Louis,  the  other  going 
down  the  east  bank  toward  Cahokia.1  As  soon  as  those 
advancing  down  the  west  bank  were  seen  by  the  scouts 
guarding  St.  Louis,  the  alarm  was  sounded, — a  man  run 
ning  through  the  streets  crying  out  "To  arms,  to  arms!" 
An  alarm  gun  was  shot  from  the  tower  to  warn  the  men 
working  in  the  fields  and  the  women  and  children  who  were 
out  after  strawberries.  Many  of  these  were  shot  by 
the  Indians  from  ambush  as  they  tried  to  return  to  town. 
According  to  the  only  detailed  contemporaneous  report 
that  we  have  of  this  engagement,  the  enemy  " began  the 
attack  upon  the  post  from  the  north  side,  expecting  to 
meet  no  opposition;  but  they  found  themselves  unex 
pectedly  repulsed  by  the  militia  which  guarded  it.  A 
vigorous  fire  was  kept  up  on  both  sides  so  that  by  the 
service  done  by  the  cannon  on  the  tower  where  the  com 
mander  (Captain  de  Leyba)  was,  the  defenders  at  last 
succeeded  in  keeping  off  a  band  of  villains,  who,  if  they 
had  not  opportunely  been  met  by  this  bold  opposition 
on  our  part,  would  not  have  left  a  trace  of  our  settle 
ments.  There  were  also  to  be  heard  the  confusion  and 

1  The  division  going  down  the  east  bank  was  under  the  leader 
ship  of  Ducharme,  who  had  joined  the  expedition  possibly  in  re 
venge  for  the  treatment  that  had  been  accorded  him  by  the  Spanish 
authorities  along  the  upper  Mississippi.  He  was  a  British  subject 
from  Canada  and  an  active  Indian  trader.  About  1772  he  had 
stolen  past  the  Spanish  garrison  at  the  month  of  the  Missouri 
River,  and  pushing  up  that  stream  had  established  himself  on  what 
is  now  called  Loutre  Island.  On  being  discovered  at  his  illegal 
traffic,  his  goods  were  seized  and  confiscated,  and  he  barely  escaped 
with  his  life.  For  these  reasons  he  was  seeking  revenge  against  the 
Spanish  authorities,  and  accordingly  joined  this  expedition  against 
St.  Louis  in  1780.  In  fact,  it  was  believed  by  some  that  he  in 
stigated  the  expedition.  Ducharme  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
in  the  actual  attack  upon  St.  Louis,  but  his  party  fired  their 
guns  across  the  river  and  struck  the  roofs  of  the  houses  in  the 
village. 


28  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

the  lamentable  cries  of  the  women  and  children  who  had 
been  shut  up  in  the  house  of  the  commandant,  defended 
by  twenty  men  under  the  lieutenant  of  infantry,  Don 
Francisco  Cartabona;  the  dolorous  echoes  of  which 
seemed  to  inspire  in  the  besieged  an  extraordinary  valor 
and  spirit,  for  they  urgently  demanded  to  be  permitted 
to  make  a  sally.  The  enemy  at  last  seeing  that  their 
force  was  useless  against  such  resistance,  scattered  about 
over  the  country,  where  they  found  several  farmers,  who, 
with  their  slaves,  were  occupied  in  the  labors  of  the  field. 
If  these  hungry  wolves  had  contented  themselves  with 
destroying  the  crops,  if  they  had  killed  all  the  cattle  which 
they  could  not  take  with  them,  this  act  would  have  been 
looked  upon  as  a  consequence  of  war ;  but  when  the  learned 
world  shall  know  that  this  desperate  band  slaked  their 
thirst  in  the  blood  of  innocent  victims,  and  sacrificed  to 
their  fury  all  whom  they  found,  cruelly  destroying  them 
and  committing  the  greatest  atrocities  upon  some  poor 
people  who  had  no  other  arms  than  those  of  the  good  faith 
in  which  they  lived,  the  English  nation  from  now  on  may 
add  to  its  glorious  conquests  in  the  present  war  that  of 
having  barbarously  inflicted  by  the  hands  of  these  base 
instruments  of  cruelty  the  most  bitter  torments  which 
tyranny  has  invented." 

As  might  be  expected,  there  is  no  agreement  in  the 
different  reports  as  to  the  casualties.  According  to  the 
Spanish  report,  from  which  the  above  quotation  was  made, 
twenty-nine  were  killed  and  twenty-four  taken  prisoners. 
According  to  an  English  report,  there  were  seventy-four 
persons  killed,  fifty-three  scalped,  and  thirty-four  taken 
prisoners.  And  according  to  another,  sixty-eight  were 
killed,  forty- three  scalped,  and  eighteen  taken  prisoners. 

A  day  or  two  after  the  attack  upon  St.  Louis  an  attempt 
was  made  by  the  Indians  to  take  Cahokia,  but  this  like 
wise  failed.  Thereupon  the  Indians  returned  to  their 
homes  in  two  divisions,  one  going  up  the  Mississippi,  the 
other  across  the  country  to  Mackinac. 


THE  ENGLISH  ATTACK   UPON   ST.   LOUIS   IN   1780      29 

Three  reasons  were  assigned  by  Sinclair,  the  English   Causes  of 
lieutenant  governor,  for  the  failure   of   this   expedition :  JJet^eailure 
(i)  The  treachery  of  the  two  interpreters,   Calve  and  Expedition 
Ducharme,  who  had  been  put  in  charge  of  the  companies 
of  Indians,  and  who  failed  at  the  critical  moments  of  the 
expedition  to  do  their  duty.     These  two  men  were  part 
ners  in  trade  and  had  been  promised  by  the  British  agents 
certain  advantages  along  the  Missouri  River  if  they  would 
assist  in  taking  the  territory  along  that  river  from  the 
Spanish.     (2)  The  lack  of  secrecy.     Word  was  brought 
to  St.  Louis  at  least  two  months  before  the  attack  that 
an  expedition  was  preparing.     (3)  The  backwardness  of 
the  Canadians  who  took  part  in  the  expedition. 

Another  reason,  however,  has  been  assigned  for  the 
precipitate  retreat  of  the  Indians  to  their  homes,  and  that 
is  the  sudden  appearance  of  George  Rogers  Clark  at 
Cahokia,  just  after  the  attack  upon  St.  Louis.  Clark 
was  supposed  by  the  English  to  be  at  the  Falls  of  the 
Ohio  at  the  time  of  the  attack,  and  hence  safely  out  of 
the  way.  As  a  matter  of  fact  he  was  not  there,  but  had 
been  for  a  month  at  the  Iron  Banks,  five  miles  below  the 
mouth  of  the  Ohio,  where  he  was  engaged  in  building  a 
fort.  He  had,  however,  been  advised  by  the  citizens  of 
Cahokia  of  the  impending  attack  by  the  Indians,  and  had 
set  out  on  May  13  for  that  place.  On  his  way  he  received 
a  message  from  De  Leyba  urging  him  to  return. 

It  has  frequently  been  asserted  that  Clark  sent  troops 
to  St.  Louis  to  assist  in  warding  off  the  attack,  and  that 
he  himself  appeared  on  the  scene  during  the  attack.  But 
there  seems  to  be  no  foundation  for  these  assertions. 
Even  though  he  did  not  do  what  has  been  said  of  him, 
there  is  good  ground  for  believing  that  the  knowledge 
that  he  had  arrived  unexpectedly  at  Cahokia  had  a  great 
deal  to  do  with  causing  the  Indians  to  withdraw.  His 
name  seemed  to  inspire  fear  among  them.  Moreover, 
he  organized  a  force  of  350  men,  including  regulars, 
French  volunteers  from  the  Illinois  post,  and  Spaniards 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Signifi 
cance  of  the 
Attack 


Spanish 
Expedition 
against  St. 
Joseph, 
Mich.,  1781 


in  St.  Louis,  and  sent  them  against  the  Indians  that  had 
retreated  up  the  Mississippi  and  Illinois  rivers.  This 
movement  of  his  insured  St.  Louis  against  any  further 
molestation  by  the  Indians  for  the  time  at  least,  and  it 
may  be  that  this  is  what  he  had  in  mind  when  he  said 
that  he  had  sent  300  men  to  the  relief  of  St.  Louis. 

From  what  has  been  said,  it  is  evident  that  the  attack 
upon  St.  Louis  is  noteworthy,  not  as  a  military  event,  but 
because  it  was  a  part  of  a  very  comprehensive  scheme 
on  the  part  of  the  English  to  wrest  great  stretches  of 
territory  away  from  the  Americans  and  the  Spaniards. 
Had  this  scheme  in  all  of  its  phases  been  carried  out, 
the  work  of  Clark  in  the  Illinois  and  Indiana  regions 
would  have  gone  for  naught,  and  all  prospects  of  the 
Americans  acquiring  from  England  the  territory  between 
the  Alleghanies  and  the  Mississippi  would  have  been 
considerably  lessened  if  not  completely  obliterated. 
Also,  the  English  would  have  acquired  the  territory 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  thus  placing  the  whole  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley  in  their  hands.  That  this  scheme 
did  not  carry  is  due  to  the  failure  of  the  Indian  expedition 
at  St.  Louis.  It  is  true  that  the  scheme  might  subse 
quently  have  fallen  through,  even  if  St.  Louis  had  been 
taken  in  May,  1780,  but  as  to  that  no  one  can  say. 

The  attack  upon  St.  Louis  by  the  English  was  answered 
the  next  year  by  a  counter  attack  by  the  Spaniards  upon 
an  English  fort  called  St.  Joseph,  on  the  southeast  shore 
of  Lake  Michigan.  In  January,  1781,  Cruzat,  the  Span 
ish  lieutenant  governor  of  Upper  Louisiana,  organ 
ized  a  military  expedition  in  St.  Louis  to  invade  the 
British  possessions  lying  along  the  Great  Lakes.  The 
force  consisted  of  66  Spaniards  and  French  and  60  Indians. 
They  marched  in  midwinter  through  the  wilderness 
from  St.  Louis  to  St.  Joseph,  and  on  arriving  they  plun 
dered  the  fort  and  distributed  among  their  Indian  allies 
the  supplies  that  were  found  there.  After  remaining  at 
the  fort  a  few  days,  the  expedition  returned  to  St.  Louis, 


THE   ENGLISH  ATTACK  UPON  ST.   LOUIS  IN   1780      31 

bringing  the  British  flag  which  had  been  taken  at  St. 
Joseph  and  delivering  it  to  Cruzat.  It  should  here  be 
said  that  this  capture  of  St.  Joseph  was  made  a  basis  for 
claims  to  territory  which  Spain  demanded  in  the  region  of 
the  Great  Lakes  while  negotiations  for  peace  were  being 
made  at  the  close  of  the  American  Revolution,  in  1783. 

A  little  over  a  month  after  the  attack  upon  St.  Louis,  DeLeyba 
De  Leyba  died  and  was  buried  in  the  little  church  of  the 
village  of  St.  Louis.  It  is  said  that  he  died  from  poison 
administered  by  his  own  hand  on  account  of  dissipation 
and  remorse.  It  has  been  the  habit  of  historians  to  con 
demn  him  unreservedly  and  to  heap  upon  his  memory 
nothing  but  obloquy.  He  has  been  called  a  traitor  and 
a  coward,  and  is  said  to  have  been  so  drunk  at  the  time  of 
the  attack  upon  St.  Louis  that  he  locked  himself  up  in 
his  house  and  left  the  villagers  to  defend  themselves  as 
best  they  could.  In  recent  times,  however,  he  has  had 
his  defenders  who  have  sought  to  recover  his  reputation 
and  good  name.  Among  them  is  Louis  Houck,  who  de 
clares  in  his  History  of  Missouri  that  "the  archives  of 
Spain  show  that  he  was  a  man  of  clear  intelligence,  business 
knowledge,  and  sound  judgment.  His  insight  into  prin 
ciples  of  law  and  his  impartiality  in  the  administration 
of  justice  are  unmistakable  evidences  of  these  qualities. 
He  was  on  terms  of  intimacy  with  George  Rogers  Clark 
and  omitted  nothing  in  his  power  to  show  his  attachment 
to  the  American  cause  during  the  Revolution.  As  soon 
as  Clark  took  possession  of  the  Illinois  country,  he  opened 
up  a  correspondence  with  him,  and  Clark  says  he  was 
surprised  to  find  him  free  from  the  reserve  that  charac 
terizes  the  Spaniards." 

REFERENCES 

Houck,  History  of  Missouri,  ii,  pp.  33-46.  James,  Significance  of  the 
Attack  on  St.  Louis,  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  Histor 
ical  Association  for  1908-09,  pp.  199-217.  A  special  study  of  the 
subject  with  particular  relation  to  the  George  Rogers  Clark  expedition. 


CHAPTER   III 

CONDITIONS  IN  MISSOURI  DURING  THE   SPANISH 
PERIOD 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  purchase  of  Louisiana  from  France 
in  1803,  with  emphasis  on  the  retrocession  of  Louisiana  from 
Spain  to  France  by  the  Treaty  of  San  Ildefonso  in  1800,  and 
on  the  negotiations  that  led  up  to  the  purchase  in  1803.] 

i.    THE  GROWTH  OF  SETTLEMENTS 

IN  a  preceding  chapter  we  saw  something  of  the  situ 
ation  in  what  is  now  Missouri  at  the  time  when  Spain  ac 
quired  it  as  a  part  of  the  territory  which  France  had 
ceded  to  her  by  the  Treaty  of  Fontainebleau  in  1762.  It 
is  now  proposed  to  bring  under  review  the  conditions  in 
this  same  region  at  the  time  when  the  United  States  ac 
quired  it  as  part  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase  from  France 
—  that  is,  in  1803. 
Transfer  of  After  the  treaty  ceding  Louisiana  to  the  United  States 

Louisiana       -^^  been  ratified  by  Congress,  the  formal  transfer  of  the 

from  France 

to  the  territory  had  to  be  made.     But  before  this  could  be  ac- 

States  complished,  it  was  necessary  for  France  to  acquire  actual 

possession  of  the  territory  from  Spain.  For,  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  Spain  had  by  the  Treaty  of  San  Ildefonso 
in  1800  agreed  to  return  Louisiana  to  France,  the  actual 
transfer  had  not  yet  been  made  when  France  agreed  in 
April,  1803,  to  sell  it  to  the  United  States,  nor  even  yet 
when  Congress  ratified  the  treaty  in  October  of  that  same 
year.  France  had  had  a  representative  at  New  Orleans 
ever  since  the  Treaty  of  San  Ildefonso  had  been  made  in 
1800,  but  he  did  not  assume  authority  over  Lower  Lou 
isiana  until  December,  1803.  What  is  more,  the  formal 

32 


MISSOURI   DURING  THE   SPANISH  PERIOD 


33 


THE  LOUISIANA  PURCHASE 


transfer  of  Upper  Louisiana  was  not  made  at  St.  Louis 
until  March  9,  1804,  and  when  it  took  place  an  American 
acted  as  the  agent  of  the  French  government.  Acting 


THE  GOVERNMENT  HOUSE  IN  ST.  Louis  IN  1804 

This  building  stood  on  what  is  now  the  corner  of  Walnut  and  Main  streets. 
In  it  the  formal  transfer  of  Upper  Louisiana  from  France  to  the  United  States 
took  place  on  March  9,  1804.  From  Houck's  History  of  Missouri. 

under  orders  from  Laussat,  the  French  governor  general 
of  Louisiana  at  New  Orleans,  Captain  Amos  Stoddard 
of  the  American  army  went  from  New  Orleans  to  St. 


34 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Louis,  where  he  received  from  De  Lassus,  the  Spanish 
lieutenant  governor,  the  possession  of  Upper  Louisiana 
on  March  9,  1804,  for  the  government  of  France.  With 
special  ceremony  the  Spanish  flag  was  lowered  and  the 
flag  of  France  was  raised  in  its  stead. 

But  this  ceremony  was  followed  on  the  same  day  by 
another  which  marked  the  transfer  of  Upper  Louisiana 
from  France  to  the  United  States.  Captain  Stoddard 
had  not  only  been  commissioned  to  receive  this  territory 

from  Spain  for  France,  but 
had  also  been  authorized 
to  act  for  the  United  States 
and  to  declare  the  formal 
transfer  of  the  same  terri 
tory  from  France  to  the 
United  States.  He  there 
fore  lowered  the  French 
flag  shortly  after  it  had 
been  raised,  and  ran  up 
the  American  flag  in  its 
place.1  He  thereupon 
assumed  the  duties  of 
governor  of  Upper  Louisi 
ana  for  the  United  States. 
Former  Governor  De 
Lassus  then  sent  proc 
lamations  to  the  different 
settlements  in  what  is  now 
Missouri,  notifying  them 
of  the  transfers  that  had  been  made. 

At  the  time  of  the  transfer  the  region  that  is  now  Mis- 

1  According  to  another  story  by  Pierre  Choteau,  brother  of 
Auguste  Choteau,  some  of  the  French  Creoles  at  St.  Louis  asked 
Stoddard  to  leave  the  French  flag  up  till  the  next  day,  and  he  granted 
the  request.  A  guard  of  honor  was  then  formed  by  the  French  and 
was  set  around  it  to  watch  all  night.  On  the  next  day,  March  10, 
the  French  flag  was  taken  down  and  the  American  flag  raised. 


DE  LASSUS 

The  last  Spanish  governor  of  Upper 
Louisiana.  From  Stevens'  Missouri, 
the  Center  State,  by  permission  of  the 
Missouri  Historical  Society. 


MISSOURI  DURING  THE  SPANISH   PERIOD  35 

souri  had  a  population  of  10,000  as  compared  with  1000  in   Causes  of 
1769,  when,  as  we  have  seen,  Spain  assumed  control  of  ^Missouri 
Louisiana.     This  tenfold  increase  was  due  in  great  part   1769-1804 
to  migration   from   the  regions   east  of  the  Mississippi, 
which  poured  into  the    Missouri    country   in    two    dif 
ferent  streams,  one  coming  from  the  French  settlements 
in  the  Illinois  country  and  the  other  coming  from  the   . 
American  settlements  that  had  more  recently  been  es 
tablished  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee. 

The  causes  for  this  immigration  into  the  Missouri  coun 
try  may  be  summarized  as  followrs : 

i.  The  disorder  that  prevailed  from  1778  to  1790  in  i.  Disorder 
the  settlements  in  the  Illinois  country.  This  had  been  j^J^1111110' 
brought  on  largely  by  the  misrule  of  the  Virginia  common-  1778-90 
wealth  in  this  region.  It  will  be  recalled  that  in  1778 
George  Rogers  Clark  had  made  his  expedition  into  the 
Illinois  country  under  the  authority  of  the  governor  of 
Virginia.  After  he  had  conquered  this  territory,  it  was 
established  as  the  county  of  Illinois  and  made  a  part  of 
Virginia.  The  French  settlers  in  this  region  had  wel 
comed  Clark  and  had  aided  him  in  every  possible  way,  and 
for  a  few  months  they  had  enjoyed  peace  under  his  mild 
rule.  But  it  was  not  long  before  they  had  occasion  to 
regret  his  coming,  and  for  ten  years  thereafter  they  were  (a)  Virginia 
subjected  to  conditions  that  were  almost  intolerable.  Mlsrule 
For  one  thing,  Clark's  frontier  soldiers  soon  found  them 
selves  in  great  need,  and  they  began  foraging  upon  the 
French  settlers  at  will.  Moreover,  the  civil  government 
that  Virginia  established  in  the  country  proved  to  be  in 
efficient  and  was  shortly  replaced  by  a  military  rule  that 
was  oppressive.  The  French  settlers  also  found  themselves 
the  victims  of  worthless  continental  currency  and  of 
American  land  speculators  who  had  followed  Clark  into 
this  country.  The  situation  did  not  improve  even  after 
Virginia  discontinued  her  authority  in  this  region  in  1782. 
In  fact,  there  was  no  legalized  government  there  from 
1782  to  1790,  and  anarchy  very  generally  prevailed. 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


(6)  Peace 
between 
England  and 
the  United 
States 


2.  North 
west  Ordi 
nance,  1787 


Under  such  circumstances  as  have  briefly  been  outlined, 
it  is  not  at  all  surprising  to  find  that  very  shortly 
after  Clark  came  to  the  Illinois  country  the  French  settlers 
began  to  move  across  to  the  "  Spanish  bank, "  as  the  region 
west  of  the  Mississippi  River  was  then  called,  and  that 
they  continued  to  go  in  a  rather  steady  stream  for  ten 
years  or  more.  Among  the  emigrants  were  some  of  the 
most  important  and  progressive  of  the  French  inhabitants. 
As  a  result  of  this  emigration,  some  of  the  Illinois  vil 
lages  came  very  nearly  being  depopulated.  The  loss  sus 
tained  by  Kaskaskia  was  very  large.  In  1778  there  were 
about  500  people  living  there.  By  1790  the  town  had 
been  reduced  to  about  250.1 

Meanwhile,  peace  was  made  between  England  and  the 
United  States  in  1783,  whereby  the  United  States  came 
into  the  undisputed  ownership  of  the  territory  between 
the  Mississippi  River  and  the  Alleghany  Mountains. 
This  had,  however,  no  reassuring  effect  upon  the  early 
settlers  in  the  " American  Bottom,"  as  the  region  of  the 
French  settlements  in  the  Illinois  country  now  came  to 
be  called.  These  settlers  had  been  somewhat  buoyed  up 
during  the  few  troublous  years  of  the  Virginia  rule  by  the 
hope  that  either  France  or  England  would  regain  this  ter 
ritory  ;  and  when  these  hopes  had  failed  them,  they  saw 
no  prospect  of  matters  becoming  better.  The  migra 
tion  from  the  Illinois  to  the  Missouri  country  therefore 
continued  for  several  years  after  peace  was  declared  with 
England,  at  least  until  the  nineties  of  that  century. 

2.  The  Northwest  Ordinance  of  1787.  This  ordinance 
prohibited  slavery  in  the  region  north  of  the  Ohio  River 
and  south  of  the  Great  Lakes.  The  effect  of  this  pro 
hibition,  as  far  as  what  is  now  Missouri  is  concerned,  was 
to  drive  many  people  who  were  living  in  the  Northwest 

1  Notwithstanding  the  hardships  which  the  French  settlers  en 
dured  at  the  hands  of  the  Virginia  officials,  they  never  bore  any  ill 
will  against  Clark.  They  liked  him  personally  and  responded  to 
all  his  calls  upon  them  for  assistance  up  to  the  time  he  left  in  1780. 


MISSOURI   DURING  THE   SPANISH  PERIOD  37 

Territory  into  Missouri,  and  to  deflect  into  this  country 
the  population  that  had  been  flowing  from  Kentucky  into 
the  territory  north  of  the  Ohio.  As  yet,  however,  most 
of  the  emigrants  who  came  to  Missouri  because  of  the 
Northwest  Ordinance  were  French  from  the  Illinois  coun 
try  or  from  the  "American  Bottom." 

3.    The   special  inducements   offered   by   the   Spanish  3-  Spanish 
government  to  new  settlers.     For  several  years  after  the  Sett[erg° 
close   of   the   American   Revolution   Spanish   authorities 
carried  on  intrigues  with  certain  Americans  in  the  Ken 
tucky  and  Tennessee  regions,  looking  toward  the  break 
ing  up  of  the  newly  formed  American  union  and  the  at 
tachment  of  those  western  regions  to  Spain.     A  stop  was 
put  to  all  this  intriguing,  however,  by  the  treaty  made 
between  the  United  States  and  Spain  in  1795. 

Failing  in  her  plans  for  withdrawing  the  Kentucky  and  (a)  Free 
Tennessee  regions  from  the  Union,  and  fearing  an  inva-  Land^' 
sion  of  Louisiana  by  the  English  from  Canada,  Spain  now 
inaugurated  a  scheme  to  draw  settlers  from  the  United 
States  into  Louisiana  by  offering  them  extraordinary  in 
ducements.  Lands  were  granted  freely  to  all  settlers, 
the  only  expense  being  the  fees  for  surveying  and  regis 
tration.  It  has  been  estimated  that  a  farm  of  800  acres 
could  be  obtained  for  $41  plus  the  fees  of  the  surveyor 
and  registration  officials.  To  make  it  all  the  easier  for 
the  prospective  settler,  Spain  arranged  that  he  might 
obtain  possession  of  his  grant  at  once  and  pay  these  obli 
gations  later. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  Spaniards  made  no  dis-   (b)  Laxness 
crimination  between  Catholics  and  Protestants  in  making  *n  the  En~ 

forcement  of 

these  grants,  and  that  men  of  all  religious  sects  were   Religious 
welcomed   and   given   full   religious   freedom.     There   is   Restnctlons 
good  ground,  however,  for  doubting  these  propositions. 
The  king  of  Spain  desired  only  Catholics  in  the  territory 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  the  governor  general  at  New 
Orleans   always   rigidly   enforced   the   orders    of    Spain, 
which   excluded   Protestants.      The   governor  of   Upper 


38  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

Louisiana  sometimes  winked  at  the  coming  of  Protestants, 
but  usually  under  certain  conditions. 

According  to  certain  instructions  issued  by  Gayoso, 
commandant  general  in  1798,  liberty  of  conscience  was  not 
to  be  extended  beyond  the  first  generation.  This  meant 
that  the  children  of  the  immigrants  must  be  baptized  ac 
cording  to  the  Catholic  form.  Immigrants  who  would 
not  agree  to  this  were  not  to  be  admitted,  but  were  to  be 
removed,  even  though  they  might  have  brought  their 
personal  property  with  them.  Moreover,  it  was  expressly 
recommended  to  the  commandants  by  these  instructions 
that  no  preacher  of  any  religion  but  the  Catholic  should 
come  into  the  province.  And  yet,  notwithstanding  these 
instructions,  considerable  religious  toleration  actually 
existed.  The  regulation  requiring  the  children  to  be 
baptized  as  Catholics  was  not  enforced,  and  the  exami 
nations  that  were  given  to  the  immigrants  were  not  closely 
observed.  Hence,  many  Baptists  and  other  Protestants 
settled  in  the  province  and  remained  undisturbed  in  their 
religious  principles.  They  held  no  public  religious  meet 
ings,  however,  and  had  no  ministers  of  the  gospel  among 
them.  All  marriage  rites  were  performed  by  Catholic 
priests,  and  it  is  probable  that  if  anyone  had  attempted  to 
administer  the  sacraments  of  baptism  and  the  Lord's 
Supper  according  to  the  Protestant  confession,  he  would 
have  been  sent  to  prison  for  it. 

Notwithstanding  these  religious  restrictions,  the  easy 
terms  on  which  the  grants  of  land  were  offered  and  the 
prospects  of  finding  lead  on  these  lands,  induced  many 
people  to  leave  their  homes  east  of  the  Mississippi  and  to 
come  into  what  is  now  Missouri.  It  was  during  this 
period  of  Spanish  rule  that  Americans  began  to  appear  in 
the  Missouri  country,  but  it  was  not  until  the  late  nineties 
that  they  began  to  come  in  large  numbers.  Probably  the 
first  American  settler  in  Missouri  came  to  St.  Louis  in  1770. 

4.  The  purchase  of  Louisiana  in  1803.  This  had  a 
decided  effect  upon  the  American  immigration  into  what 


MISSOURI   DURING  THE   SPANISH  PERIOD  39 

is  now  Missouri.     Men  who  had  hesitated  to  come  into  4-  Purchase 
this  country  because  of  their  objection  to  foreign  rule  ^Louisiana, 
found  that  objection  removed  when  the  United  States 
purchased  Louisiana. 

But  at  the  time  of  the  transfer  of  Louisiana  to   the  Predomi- 
United  States,  in  1804,  the  population  of  what  is  now  ^^cans 
Missouri  had,  as  has  already  been  stated,  risen  to  10,000,  in  Missouri 
more  than  half  of  whom  were  Americans.     It  should  be  by  l8°4 
noted  here  that  though  Spain  had  had  control  of  Louisiana 
for  nearly  thirty-five  years  prior  to  its  purchase  by  the 
United  States,  very  few  Spaniards  settled  in  the  province, 
especially  within  the  limits  of  the  present  State  of  Mis 
souri.     The  population  of  the  Missouri  country  was  of 
French  descent  almost  exclusively  until  the  close  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  when,  as  we  have  seen,  the  Americans 
began  to  come  in  such  numbers  as  to  predominate  in  1804. 

By  1 8 10  the  population  had  grown  to  be  20,845,  or  twice 
what  it  had  been  in  1804.  This  increase  was  primarily 
due  to  further  American  immigration. 

At  the  time  when  the  population  of  what  is  now  Mis-  Growth  of 

souri  numbered  only  goo  or  1000,  there  were  only  two   Settlements 

in  Missouri 
settlements,  Ste.  Genevieve  and  St.  Louis.     But  during  during  the 

the  period  of  Spanish  rule,  when  the  population  ran  up 
to  10,000,  several  new  settlements  were  established,  con 
cerning  which  a  brief  account  should  now  be  given.  It 
will  be  most  convenient  to  consider  them  according  to 
the  five  districts  into  which  the  Spanish  authorities  had 
grouped  them,  commencing  at  the  north  and  passing  to 
the  south. 

i.    The  northernmost  district  was  called  St.  Charles,   i.  St. 
It  included  all  the  territory  lying  between  the  Missouri  ^rict 
and  the  Mississippi  rivers.     Its  oldest  settlement  was  St. 
Charles,  which  was  founded  about   1780  on  the  north   (a)  St. 
bank  of  the   Missouri,   twenty  miles  above  its  mouth.   charles 
The  founder  was  Louis  Blanchette,  commonly  known  as 
Blanchette  le  Chasseur  (Blanchette,  the  hunter),  a  native 
of  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada. 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


DISTRICT  o/ 
LOUISIANA  1804 

jhowinyAdminist'ra.tive 
D/stricts  and  Settlements 


The  village  was  originally  known  as  Les  Petites  Cotes 
(Little  Hills)  or  Village  des  Cotes  (Village  of  the  Hills), 
because  of  the  fact  that  it  was  situated  at  the  foot  of  a 
range  of  small  hills  rising  up  from  the  northern  bank  of 
the  Missouri  River.  For  a  time  it  was  known  officially 
at  New  Orleans  as  San  Fernando,  but  just  before  the 
purchase  of  Louisiana  it  came  to  be  called  officially  San 
Carlos  del  Missouri  or  St.  Charles  of  the  Missouri. 

The  houses  of  the  village  were  built  along  one  street 


MISSOURI  DURING  THE  SPANISH  PERIOD  41 

that  ran  for  about  a  mile  parallel  to  the  river.  Up  to 
the  time  of  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  the  population  was 
almost  entirely  French-Canadian  and  never  amounted 
to  more  than  one  hundred  families.  The  villagers  culti 
vated  two  common  fields  that  lay  adjoining  the  village, 
but  they  were  interested  chiefly  in  hunting  and  fur 
trading,  and  the  place  remained  for  a  long  time  the 
headquarters  of  the  fur  trading  industry  along  the 
Missouri  River. 

There  were  at  least  two  other  French  settlements  in  (b)  Portage 
this  district,  Portage  des  Sioux  and  La  Charette.  For-  des  sioux 
tage  des  Sioux  l  was  situated  on  the  Mississippi  at  the 
point  on  the  tongue  of  land  which  lies  between  this  river 
and  the  Missouri  where  the  two  rivers  approach  each 
other  most  nearly  before  they  join  a  few  miles  farther 
down.  It  was  established  by  the  Spanish  authorities  in 
1799  as  an  offset  to  a  settlement  which  they  thought  the 
Americans  were  going  to  establish  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Missouri  on  the  Illinois  side.  A  man  by  the  name  of 
Saucier,  who  was  living  at  St.  Charles,  was  requested  by 
the  Spanish  authorities  to  form  this  settlement  of  Portage 
des  Sioux,  and  was  urged  to  do  all  he  could  to  draw  the 
French  settlers  from  the  Illinois  country.  Saucier  was 
a  native  of  Fort  Chartres  and  was  well  known  in  that  part 
of  the  country,  and  he  succeeded  in  inducing  many 
of  his  Illinois  friends  to  move  to  the  new  settlement. 
Like  St.  Charles,  Portage  des  Sioux  contained  very  few 
Americans  prior  to  the  purchase  of  Louisiana. 

La  Charette  was  situated  on  the  Missouri  River  fifty   (c)  La 
miles  from  St.  Charles.     It  did  not  amount  to  much  dur-   c-harette 
ing  the  period  now  under  consideration,  and  as  late  as 

1  Portage  des  Sioux  got  its  name  from  the  fact  that  the  Sioux 
Indians,  during  a  war  with  the  Missouris,  evaded  the  latter,  who 
were  waiting  for  them  in  ambush  at  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  by 
crossing  the  Mississippi  where  the  town  now  stands.  They  then 
carried  their  canoes  over  to  the  Missouri  River  and  escaped  with 
their  spoils. 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


(d)  Settle- 


the  District 


1804  it  had  only  seven  very  poor  families.     It  is  now 
known  as  Marthasville. 

The  Americans  who  lived  in  this  district  at  the  time 
of  the  Louisiana  Purchase  did  not  reside  in  villages  as 
a  rule,  but  in  scattered  and  detached  farmsteads  along  the 
Cuivre  River  and  the  Dardenne  and  Perruque  creeks, 
which  flowed  into  the  Mississippi,  and  along  La  Charette 


"•''•^MpHlrttiilifiilpiiilill ""'"'1 

l'; .  ._.  __ 


ST.  Louis  IN  COLONIAL  DAYS 

From  Stevens'  Missouri,  the  Center  State,  by  permission  of  the  Missouri 
Historical  Society. 

and  Femme  Osage  creeks,  which  were  tributaries  to  the 
Missouri .  They  were  most  numerous  along  the  Dardenne. l 
2.  St.  Louis  District  embraced  all  the  territory  be 
tween  the  Missouri  River  on  the  north  and  the  Meramec 
on  the  south,  and  extended  indefinitely  to  the  west.  The 
(a)  St.  Louis  oldest  and  largest  settlement  in  this  district  was  St.  Louis, 
which,  as  we  have  seen,  was  founded  in  1 764.  Its  growth 
had  been  rather  slow  at  first.  By  1804  it  had  come  to  be 
a  place  of  about  1000.  It  contained  at  that  time  171 
buildings,  33  of  which  were  of  stone,  131  of  posts  and 
logs,  and  7  of  posts  and  stone. 

1  The  Boones  lived  along  the  Femme  Osage  and  La  Charette 
creeks.  An  account  of  them  will  be  given  in  the  latter  part  of  this 
chapter. 


MISSOURI   DURING  THE   SPANISH   PERIOD  43 

Besides  St.  Louis  there  were  several  other  settlements  in  (&)  Caron- 
this  district  by  1804.  Some  of  them  were  distinctively 
French  in  character,  such  as  Carondelet,  Florissant,  Creve 
Coeur,  and  Point  Labadie.  Carondelet  had  been  founded 
by  Delor  de  Treget  of  Ste.  Genevieve,  who  in  1767  made 
a  trip  with  his  wife  up  the  Mississippi.  Charmed  with 
the  beauty  of  the  country  near  the  mouth  of  the  River 
des  Peres,  he  decided  to  settle  near  there.  He  therefore 
obtained  a  grant  from  St.  Ange  and  built  his  stone  house 
at  what  is  now  the  foot  of  Elwood  Street,  St.  Louis.  In 
time  there  sprang  up  around  his  house  a  village  which 
was  first  called  Delor 's  Village,  and  which,  after  several 
changes  in  name,  finally  came  to  be  known  as  Carondelet, 
after  the  last  Spanish  governor  general  of  Louisiana.  It 
was  nicknamed  Vide  Poche  (Empty  Pocket)  by  the  people 
of  St.  Louis.  It  grew  slowly  at  first,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  contained  not  more  than  twenty  families.  By  1804 
it  had  only  50  houses  and  250  people.  This  village  was 
near,  if  not  on,  the  exact  site  of  the  River  des  Peres  set 
tlement  which  the  Jesuits  are  said  to  have  attempted 
early  in  the  eighteenth  century,  concerning  which  some 
thing  was  said  in  a  former  chapter.  Carondelet  is  now 
incorporated  as  a  part  of  the  city  of  St.  Louis. 

Florissant  was  next  to  the  largest  of  the  settlements  in   (c)  Floris- 
the  St.  Louis  District  in  1804,  containing  at  that  time  s 
60  houses  and  about  300  people.     The  date  of  its  settle 
ment  is  not  definitely  known,  but  it  was  probably  1785. 
The  place  was  about  twelve  miles  northwest  of  St.  Louis, 
on  a  tributary  of  the  Missouri  called  Cold  Water  Creek, 
opposite  which  was  a  large  prairie  noted  for  its  luxuriant 
growth  of  wild  flowers.     This  probably  affords  the  expla 
nation  for  its  name,  Florissant,  which  is  an  abbreviation 
for  the  longer  name  San  Fernando  de  Florissant. 

Creve  Cceur  and  Point  Labadie  were  small  French  set-   (<*) 
tlements  farther  up  the  Missouri.     For  the  name  Creve 
Coeur,  which  means   "broken  heart,"  two  explanations  Labadie 
have  been  offered :   one  is  that,  after  the  overflow  of  the 


44  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

Missouri  in  1796,  there  was  much  sickness  and  many 
people  died,  the  survivors  abandoning  the  place  broken 
hearted  ;  the  other  is  that  the  loneliness  was  so  oppres 
sive  to  the  wife  of  Alex  Bellisime,  one  of  the  settlers,  that 
when  asked  about  her  new  home  she  replied,  "C'est  un 
vrai  creve  cceur."  —  "It  is  a  real  heart-breaker." 
(e)  Settle-  By  1804  a  goodly  number  of  Americans  had  settled  in 

ments  along  the  gt>  Louis  District,  but  most  of  them  had  made  their 
way  farther  westward  and  southward  than  the  French 
had  gone,  and  instead  of  settling  in  villages  they  had 
located  on  homesteads  along  the  Meramec  River  and 
along  the  creeks  that  were  tributaries  to  the  Missouri 
and  Meramec  rivers. 

3.  ste.  Gene-       3.    Ste.  Genevieve  District  lay  between  the  Meramec 
vieve  River  on  the  north  and  Apple  Creek  on  the  south.     Its 

District  l  ^ 

most  important  place,  Ste.  Genevieve,  was,  as  we  have 
already  seen,  the  first  permanent  white  settlement  es 
tablished  in  what  is  now  Missouri.  It  will  be  recalled 
that  the  town  had  been  moved  from  its  original  site  and 
had  been  established  on  higher  ground  three  miles  farther 
up  the  Mississippi  River.  By  1803  several  other  settle 
ments  had  been  founded  in  this  district,  the  areas  of 
settlement  being  the  land  lying  along  the  Mississippi 
River  and  in  the  valleys  of  the  St.  Franc. ois  and  Big  rivers 
to  the  west.  Some  of  £he  settlements  along  the  Missis 
sippi  River  were  established  by  the  French  and  some  by 
the  Americans,  the  most  important  American  settlements 
being  on  Apple  Creek  to  the  south  and  on  the  Meramec 
to  the  north.  As  in  the  other  districts,  the  French  in 
this  one  gathered  for  the  most  part  in  villages,  and  the 
Americans  took  to  detached  farms. 

(a)  New  One  of  the  most  interesting  of  the  settlements  established 

Bourbon  jn  faQ  district  during  this  period  was  called  New  Bourbon. 
It  was  situated  on  the  Mississippi  River  two  and  one  half 
miles  from  the  site  of  old  Ste.  Genevieve,  and  was  pro 
jected  by  a  group  of  men,  one  of  whom  was  the  father  of 
De  Lassus,  the  last  Spanish  commandant  of  Upper  Louisi- 


MISSOURI   DURING  THE  SPANISH  PERIOD  45 

ana,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  to  it  a  number  of  French 
royalist  families  who  had  settled  at  Gallipolis  on  the 
Ohio  River  in  what  is  now  Ohio.  These  royalists  had 
become  dissatisfied  with  their  lot  in  that  place,  and  it  is 
thought  that  they  had  been  induced  to  move  to  this  new 
settlement  in  the  Ste.  Gene  vie  ve  District.  When  the 
matter  was  laid  before  Governor  Carondelet  in  New 
Orleans,  in  1793,  he  immediately  sanctioned  it  and  au 
thorized  the  establishing  of  the  settlement.  However, 
only  a  very  few  came  from  Gallipolis,  but  the  village  grew 
in  time  to  have  a  population  of  more  than  100.  It  has 
since  disappeared  altogether. 

In  the  valleys  of  the  St.  Francois  and  Big  rivers,  set-   (&)  Mined, 
tlements  were  formed  by  Americans  who  were  interested  Breton 
in  mining  and  in  farming.     Although  the  French  carried 
on  mining  operations  in  these  valleys  from  very  early 
days,  they  do  not  seem  to  have  established  any  permanent 
settlements  there  until  late  in  the   eighteenth   century. 
Up  to  that  time  they  retained  their  residences  in  Ste. 
Gene  vie  ve  or  in  the  villages  in  the  Illinois  country,  and 
merely  camped  at  their  mines  during  the  mining  season. 

The  best  known,  if  not  the  most  important,  of  the  Ameri 
can  settlements  in  this  part  of  the  district  was  called 
Mine  a  Breton  or  Burton,  near  the  present  Potosi.  There 
seems  to  have  been  a  continuous  settlement  at  this  place 
from  the  time  lead  was  discovered  there  by  Francis  Azor 
dit  Breton  in  1775,  but  it  was  not  until  Moses  Austin 
obtained  a  grant  of  one  league  square  near  the  Azor  mine 
that  the  place  attained  any  prominence.  Austin  was  a 
pewter  manufacturer  in  Richmond,  Virginia.  His  busi 
ness  led  him  to  become  interested  in  mineralogy,  espe 
cially  lead  mining.  He  left  Richmond  and  moved  to  Wythe 
County,  Virginia,  where  he  operated  lead  mines  during 
the  Revolutionary  War.  While  here  he  heard  of  the  lead 
mines  in  what  is  now  Missouri,  and  thereupon  made  a 
visit  to  the  mines  of  Ste.  Gene  vie  ve  in  1796,  coming  on 
horseback  all  the  way.  After  receiving  a  grant  of  land, 


46 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


(c)  Farming- 
ton  and 
Frederick- 
town 


(<f)  Ste. 
Genevieve, 
the  Most 
Populous 
District  in 
1804 


MOSES  AUSTIN 


he  returned  to  Virginia  and  brought  his  family  to  Mine  a 
Breton  in  1798.     Here  he  sank  the  first  shaft  ever  sunk 

according  to  European  prac 
tices  in  Upper  Louisiana. 
The  settlement  grew  rather 
rapidly  at  once,  and  the  pop 
ulation  was  large  enough 
to  withstand  an  attack  of 
Indians  in  1799. 

Settlements  were  also  be 
gun  in  the  St.  Francois 
Valley  at  what  are  now 
Farmington  and  Frederick- 
town.  Farmington  was 
known  at  first  as  Murphy's 
Settlement,  from  a  man  by 
that  name  who  came  from 
Tennessee  in  1 7  9  8 .  Freder- 
icktown  at  first  was  called  St.  Michael's,  and  was  begun 
in  1800.  Contrary  to  the  rule  concerning  the  settlements 
in  this  valley,  Fredericktown  was  a  purely  French  settle 
ment  at  first,  instead  of  American. 

The  population  of  this  district  did  not  increase  very 
rapidly  up  to  1799,  but  in  the  next  five  years  it  grew 
from  1156  to  2870.  As  a  result  Ste.  Genevieve  was  in 
1804  the  most  prosperous  of  all  the  five  districts  in  what 
is  now  Missouri,  having  almost  100  more  than  St.  Louis 
District.  The  marked  increase  in  the  population  of  this 
district  in  the  five  years  prior  to  1804  was  due  to  the  fact 
that  most  of  the  French  who  left  the  Illinois  District  went 
as  a  rule  to  Ste.  Genevieve  District,  and  did  not  scatter 
out  into  the  other  districts  to  any  very  great  extent.  It 
should  also  be  observed  that  in  all  the  outlying  regions 
of  this  district  the  American  and  English-speaking  ele 
ment  of  the  population  had  become  predominant. 

4.  Cape  Girardeau  District  was  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Apple  Creek  and  on  the  south,  until  1802,  by  Tywap- 


MISSOURI   DURING  THE  SPANISH   PERIOD  47 

pity  Bottom.     In  that  year  this  boundary  was  fixed  at  4.  Cape 

Girardea 
District 


a  line  running  east  and  west  four  or  five  miles  south  of  Girardeau 


the  present  town  of  Commerce,  Scott  County. 

Before  any  settlement  was  made  in  this  district,  the 
name  of  Cape  Girardeau,  which  was  spelled  Girardot  or 
Girardo,  was  applied  to  the  region  along  the  bend  in 
the  Mississippi  north  of  the  present  town  of  Cape 
Girardeau.  It  is  conjectured  that  the  name  was  de 
rived  from  a  man  named  Girardot,  who  was  an  ensign  in 
the  French  troops  at  Kaskaskia  early  in  the  eighteenth 
century.  It  is  supposed  that  he  moved  from  Kaskaskia 
to  the  beautifully  wooded  promontory  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Mississippi  above  the  present  town  of  Cape  Girar 
deau,  and  traded  there  with  the  Indians.  Because  of  this 
fact  the  river  men  who  passed  up  and  down  the  river  gave 
the  name  Girardeau  to  this  promontory. 

The  first  permanent  white  settlement  established  in  (?)  Cape 
this  district  was  Cape  Girardeau.  To  Louis  Lorimier 
belongs  the  honor  of  having  founded  this  place.  Before 
coming  to  what  is  now  Missouri,  he  had  been  an  Indian 
trader,  first  in  Ohio,  then  at  Vincennes,  Indiana.1  By 
1787  he  was  in  the  Ste.  Genevieve  District  engaged  in  the 
Indian  trade,  having  brought  with  him  at  the  instance 
of  the  Spanish  officials  a  band  of  Delawares  and  Shaw- 
nees  among  whom  he  had  unbounded  influence.  The 
Spaniards  wanted  them  as  a  protection  against  the  Osages, 

1  During  the  American  Revolution  Lorimier  was  a  fiery  Tory 
and  is  known  to  have  had  a  direct  hand  in  some  of  the  Indian  forays 
against  the  American  settlements  in  western  Pennsylvania  and  in 
Kentucky.  He  was  the  leader  of  the  Indian  expedition  against 
Boonesborough  in  1778,  which  resulted  in  the  capture  of  Daniel 
Boone  and  his  family.  After  the  Revolution  was  over,  he  shared 
with  the  English  and  the  Indians  in  their  chagrin  and  disappoint 
ment  over  the  outcome,  and  doubtless  had  a  part  in  urging  the 
Indians  to  deeds  of  violence  against  the  Americans.  He  was  a 
natural  leader  among  the  Indians ;  his  wife  was  the  daughter  of  a 
Shawnee  chief,  and  it  is  thought  he  had  been  adopted  by  his  wife's 
people  and  made  a  chief  himself. 


48 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


(b)  Amer 
icans  in  the 
Majority 


5.  New 
Madrid 
District 


(a)  L'Anse  a 
la  Graise 


who  were  less  civilized  than  the  Indians  to  the  east  of 
the  Mississippi.  A  few  years  later  Lorimier  moved  to 
the  present  site  of  Cape  Girardeau,  and  in  1795  he  received 
from  Governor  Carondelet  grants  which  authorized  him 
to  establish  himself  with  his  Indians  on  any  unoccupied 
territory  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi  River  from 
the  Missouri  to  the  Arkansas.  He  was  also  given  the 
right  to  hunt  and  to  cultivate  the  soil.  As  he  had  already 
found  what  is  now  Cape  Girardeau  to  be  a  suitable  locality, 
he  established  the  post  there  and  became  its  commander. 
The  place  was  never  regularly  laid  out  as  a  village  or  town 
by  Lorimier ;  in  fact  it  remained  during  all  the  Spanish 
period  a  mere  Indian  trading  post. 

By  1804  there  were  about  twelve  hundred  people  in 
this  district  in  scattered  settlements  along  the  Mississippi 
and  along  the  Whitewater  River  to  the  west.  The 
Americans  were  greatly  in  the  majority,  having  begun  to 
come  in  large  numbers  about  1797.  Most  of  these 
Americans  came  from  Tennessee  and  North  Carolina,  and 
many  of  them  were  of  German  or  German-Swiss  extraction. 

5.  New  Madrid  District  lay  south  of  Cape  Girardeau 
District,  extending  as  far  south  as  the  mouth  of  St. 
Francois  River  —  the  present  Helena,  Arkansas.1 

The  first  settlement  in  this  district  was  on  the  bend  of 
the  Mississippi  where  the  town  of  New  Madrid  now 
stands.  This  bend  was  called  L'Anse  a  la  Graise  (a 
cove  of  fat  or  grease).  Several  explanations  have  been 
offered  for  this  name,  the  most  plausible  of  which  was  the 
abundance  of  game,  especially  bears  and  buffaloes,  in 
that  region.  Canadian  hunters  and  fur  traders  made  this 
bend  their  headquarters  about  1780,  and  in  six  or  seven 
years  a  few  people  had  permanently  settled  there.  Among 
them  were  Francis  and  Joseph  Le  Sieur,  who  may  be  con 
sidered  as  the  real  founders  of  New  Madrid. 

1  When  the  New  Madrid  District  was  first  formed  by  the  Spanish 
government,  it  included  what  was  afterward  known  as  Cape  Girar 
deau  District,  which  was  at  that  time  without  any  settlement. 


MISSOURI  DURING  THE  SPANISH  PERIOD  49 

In  1789  efforts  were  made  by  Colonel  George  Morgan  of  (b)  Morgan's 
Virginia  to  found  an  American  colony  at  L'Anse  a  la 
Graise  or  New  Madrid,  and  elaborate  plans  were  drawn 
up  for  a  town  of  considerable  magnitude.  Morgan  had 
made  frequent  trips  to  the  region  between  the  Alleghanies 
and  the  Mississippi  and  was  therefore  well  acquainted 
with  conditions  in  the  West.  He  had  suffered  some  re 
verses  of  fortune  and  thought  he  saw  an  opportunity 
to  recover  his  losses  by  establishing  a  colony  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Mississippi,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio.  He 
therefore  entered  into  negotiations  with  Gardoqui,  the 
Spanish  ambassador  to  the  United  States,  and  was  prom 
ised  support  in  all  his  plans.  He  was  assured  he  would 
obtain  a  grant  of  nearly  15,000,000  acres  of  land  extend 
ing  along  the  Mississippi  for  300  miles  from  the  mouth  of 
the  St.  Francois  River  to  what  is  now  Perry  County, 
Missouri.  Certain  conditions  which  the  Spanish  govern 
ment  was  to  observe  were  laid  down  by  him,  among  which 
were  guarantees  of  the  right  of  local  self-government  on 
the  part  of  the  settlers,  and  exemption  from  practically 
all  taxation.  He  was  then  authorized  by  Gardoqui  to 
go  at  once  and  examine  the  territory  that  was  to  be 
granted  to  him  and  to  advertise  his  project  among  the 
people  of  the  West  whom  he  should  meet  on  his  way 
thither.  He  got  together  a  large  company  of  men  and 
made  his  way  down  the  Ohio,  and  on  reaching  its  mouth 
on  February  14,  1789,  crossed  over  to  the  west  side  of  the 
Mississippi.  After  making  a  trip  to  St.  Louis  under 
great  difficulties  to  deliver  to  the  Spanish  commandant 
there  a  letter  from  the  Spanish  ambassador  regarding 
his  project,  he  returned  to  his  men  and  proceeded  to  lay 
out  the  new  town  he  was  going  to  establish  at  L'Anse  a 
la  Graise.  The  town  was  to  be  four  miles  long  and  two 
miles  wide,  with  broad  streets  and  with  parks  and  lots 
reserved  for  public  purposes.  One  city  lot  of  one  half 
acre  and  one  outlying  lot  of  five  acres  were  to  be  offered  as 
a  free  gift  to  each  of  the  first  six  hundred  settlers  that 


50  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

came  to  this  new  place.  Cabins  and  a  magazine  for 
provisions  were  erected,  gardens  were  laid  out,  and 
preparations  were  made  for  putting  one  hundred  acres 
under  cultivation  at  once.  Sufficient  land  for  350  families 
was  to  be  platted  into  farms  of  320  acres  each  for  pro 
spective  settlers.  Such  liberal  terms  were  granted  to 
those  who  should  come  that  it  was  expected  a  thousand 
families  would  settle  in  the  colony  annually  for  some  time 
to  come. 

But  Morgan's  plans  were  doomed  never  to  be  realized. 
It  was  necessary  for  him  to  get  the  approval  of  Miro, 
the  Spanish  governor  of  Louisiana,  who  resided  at  New 
Orleans ;  but  this  was  denied  him  because  of  certain 
schemes  in  which  Miro  and  Wilkinson  of  the  United  States 
army  were  interested.  Both  of  them  were  deep  in  the 
Spanish  intrigues  to  dismember  the  American  Union, 
mention  of  which  has  already  been  made,  and  they 
realized  that  Morgan's  plans  would  work  contrary  to 
their  schemes  and  interests.  It  is  also  claimed  that 
Miro  feared  that  too  many  Protestants  would  thus  be 
brought  into  the  Spanish  territory.  For  these  reasons  he 
refused  to  give  his  approval,  and  Morgan's  plans  collapsed. 
(c)  Founding  Though  Morgan  was  compelled  to  abandon  his  efforts 
Madrid  to  establish  a  colony  at  New  Madrid,  many  of  those  who 

had  come  with  him  remained,  and  the  extensive  adver 
tising  he  had  done  drew  a  great  many  other  Americans  to 
the  place  in  spite  of  his  failure.  It  should  also  be  borne 
in  mind  that  shortly  after  this  Spain  began  making  her 
extraordinary  offers  to  prospective  emigrants  to  come  to 
what  is  now  Missouri.  Morgan's  campaign  of  pub 
licity  served  to  interest  a  great  many  people  in  these 
Spanish  offers  when  they  were  made.  By  1799  New 
Madrid  had  become  a  gateway  to  all  commerce  between 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  the  region  between  the  Alleghany 
Mountains  and  the  Mississippi,  and  by  1804  the  district 
had  a  population  of  1500,  most  of  whom  were  in  the  town 
of  New  Madrid. 


MISSOURI  DURING  THE   SPANISH  PERIOD  51 

In  this  district  the  settlements  were  established  for  (d)  Caru- 
the  most  part  along  the  Mississippi  River.  Below  New 
Madrid  was  the  village  of  Little  Prairie,  now  called  Cam-  ville 
thersville,  which  had  been  founded  in  1790  by  Francis  Le 
Sieur.  Many  people  moved  to  it  from  New  Madrid. 
The  place  remained  prosperous  until  the  earthquake  of 
1811.  A  few  settlements  were  established  in  the 
uplands  about  fifteen  miles  west  of  the  Mississippi, 
the  most  important  of  which  was  Portageville.  Its 
name  is  derived  from  the  fact  that  it  stood  about  mid 
way  on  the  portage  between  the  St.  Francois  and  Mis 
sissippi  rivers. 

By  1803  the  Americans  considerably  outnumbered  the 
French  in  this  district,  one  estimate  being  that  they  con 
stituted  two  thirds  of  the  entire  population  of  the  dis 
trict.  Contrary  to  the  usual  rule,  the  Americans  settled 
in  the  French  villages  instead  of  on  isolated  farms. 

From  this  survey  we  see  that  by  1804  the  areas  of  set-  Areas  of 
tlement  in  what  is  now  Missouri  were,  first,  the  banks  of  Settlement^ 

in  Missouri 

the  Mississippi  from  New  Madrid  to  St.  Louis,  and  of  m  1804 
the  Missouri  for  about  forty  or  fifty  miles  up  from  its 
mouth ;  second,  the  back  country,  which  consisted  of 
the  uplands  just  west  of  the  Mississippi  and  of  the 
valleys  of  the  rivers  still  farther  to  the  west,  such  as  the 
lower  Meramec,  the  Big,  the  Whitewater,  and  the  St. 
Francois. 

For  the  most  part  the  French  settlers  gathered  in  vil-  Distribution 
lages  in  the  first  of  these  areas.     The  most  important  ^J™^ 
villages,   St.   Charles,   St.   Louis,   Ste.   Gene  vie  ve,   Cape  ican  Settlers 
Girardeau,  and  New  Madrid,  were  predominantly  French 
except  Cape  Girardeau,  which  almost  from  the  very  first 
was  an  American  settlement.     While  the  American  set 
tlers  sometimes  took  up  their  residence  in  villages  in  this 
first  area  of  settlement,  either  by  themselves  or  with  the 
French,  they  generally  lived  out  on  scattered  and  isolated 
farms ;   and  while  some  of  these  American  settlements 
were  along  the  Mississippi  and  the  Missouri,  most  of  them 


52  HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 

were  in  the  back  country,  that  is,  the  second  of  the  above 
mentioned  areas  of  settlement.1 


Government 
of  Louisiana 


i.  Governor 
General  and 
Cabildo 


2.  Officials 
of  Upper 
Louisiana 


2.    POLITICAL  AND  SOCIAL  CONDITIONS 

While  Spain  had  control  of  Louisiana,  that  colony 
was  under  the  administration  of  a  governor  general, 
appointed  by  the  king,  and  of  a  council  called  the 
Cabildo.  The  governor  general  and  the  council  resided 
at  New  Orleans.  The  colony  was  divided  for  purposes 
of  local  administration  into  two  provinces,  called  Lower 
and  Upper  Louisiana,  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Francois  River 
being  the  point  through  which  the  line  dividing  the  two 
provinces  passed.  What  is  now  Missouri  was  a  part  of 
the  Upper  province. 

For  Upper  Louisiana  there  was  a  lieutenant  governor 
who  resided  at  St.  Louis.  He  was  appointed  by  the 
governor  general  at  New  Orleans  and  was  subordinate 
to  him.  Under  the  lieutenant  governor  and  appointed 
by  him  were  commandants  of  the  various  military  posts 
throughout  the  province.  The  commandant  of  New 
Madrid  was,  however,  exempt  from  the  authority  of  the 
lieutenant  governor.  The  commandants  in  turn  ap- 


1  The  population  by  districts  in  1804  was  as  follows : 

Whites  Slaves 

St.  Charles 1400  150 

St.  Louis 2280  500 

Ste.  Genevieve        235°  52° 

Cape  Girardeau 1470  180 

New  Madrid 1350  150 

8850  1500 

The  census  of  De  Lassus  in  1 799  was  as  follows : 


St.  Louis 925 

Carondelet        184 

St.  Charles 875 

St.  Ferdinand        ....  376 

Marais  des  Liards     .     .     .  376 

Meramec 115 


St.  Andre 
Ste.  Genevieve   , 
New  Bourbon     , 
New  Madrid 
Cape  Girardeau 
Little  Meadows 


Total 
1550 
2780 
2870 
1650 
1500 
10,350 


393 
949 

560 

282 

521 

49 

6,028 


MISSOURI  DURING  THE   SPANISH  PERIOD 


53 


pointed  the  syndics  for  the  remote  settlements  of  their 
districts  and  the  dependencies  of  the  posts.  The  syndics 
and  most  of  the  commandants  received  no  pay  for  their 
services.  This  sometimes  proved  a  heavy  burden  upon 
the  commandants  because  of  the  free  entertainments  to 


THE  CABILDO  OF  NEW  ORLEANS 

In  this  building  the  governor  general  and  the  council  of  the  Province  of 
Louisiana  had  their  offices  during  the  Spanish  period. 

the  Indians  and  others  which  they  occasionally  had  to 
furnish. 

In  the  administration  of  laws  the  process  was  very 
simple  and  direct.  Cases  that  fell  within  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  commandants  were  quickly  tried  by  them  or  by  the 
syndics  who  acted  for  them.  After  hearing  the  state 
ments  of  both  parties  to  a  suit,  the  commandant  or  the 
syndic  would  give  his  decision,  which  was  usually  accepted 
as  final.  However,  an  appeal  might  be  taken  to  the 
lieutenant  governor  and  from  him  to  the  governor  gen 
eral,  but  this  was  seldom  done.  Often  not  more  than  four 
days  would  elapse  between  the  beginning  of  a  suit  and 
the  execution  of  the  decree  of  the  commandant  or  syndic. 


Adminis- 


54  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

In  criminal  matters  either  the  lieutenant  governor 
would  go  to  the  place  where  the  crime  was  committed 
and  try  the  case,  or  the  commandant  would  try  it,  his 
decision,  however,  being  subject  to  an  appeal  to  the 
lieutenant  governor,  and  from  him  to  the  governor 
general.  The  law  also  provided  for  still  further  ap 
peals,  the  last  tribunal  being  the  Council  of  the  Indies  in 
Spain,  but  it  was  seldom  that  appeals  of  any  sort  were 
taken. 

In  addition  to  these  judicial  functions  the  comman 
dant  exercised  extensive  administrative  and  military  au 
thority.  He  maintained  peace  and  order,  examined  pass 
ports,  which  every  traveler  was  compelled  to  have,  passed 
upon  requests  of  prospective  settlers  for  permission  to 
take  up  their  residence  in  the  district,  and  punished  slaves. 
He  had  the  rank  and  military  duties  of  captain. 

Superior  to  the  local  commandant  and  the  syndic  was 
the  lieutenant  governor.  His  power  was  very  great. 
He  was  commander  of  the  garrison  of  Spanish  soldiers 
that  had  been  sent  into  the  province  and  of  the  local 
militia ;  he  was  the  chief  judicial  officer  and  as  such  could 
hear  most  of  the  cases  when  they  were  tried  the  first  time, 
or  could  entertain  appeals  from  the  decisions  of  com 
mandants  ;  he  issued  decrees  or  laws  regulating  all  sorts  of 
matters  in  the  province ;  he  made  grants  of  land  out  of 
the  royal  domain ;  he  ordered  and  conducted  judicial 
sales  ;  and  he  controlled  the  public  affairs  of  the  province 
without  the  interference  of  any  one.  Of  course  in  all 
these  matters  he  was  subordinate  either  to  the  governor 
general  or  to  the  intendant,  who  had  authority  regard 
ing  land  grants. 

4.  Lack  of  Except  in  very  unimportant  local  matters  the  people 
^a<^  no  vo^ce  m  tne  government.  There  were  no  juries, 
no  elected  officials,  no  legislature  for  the  province  or 
councils  for  the  districts  or  villages.  However,  no  one 
seems  to  have  offered  any  objection  to  this  way  of  doing. 
Both  the  French  and  American  settlers  seemed  to  like 


MISSOURI   DURING  THE   SPANISH  PERIOD 


55 


it,  perhaps  because  the  lieutenant  governor  used  his 
extraordinary  powers  mildly.  He  might,  it  is  true,  take 
property  away  from  one  person  and  give  it  to  another 
without  any  judicial  process,  as  he  actually  did  in  the 
case  of  a  woman  of  St.  Louis  who  refused  to  keep  up  the 
common  field  fence  in  front  of  her  lot ;  but  he  generally 
acted  arbitrarily  only  when  there  was  real  cause  for  it. 
The  lieutenant  governors  were  men  of  good  character 
and  sought  to  govern  to  the  best  interest  of  the  people, 
though  it  was  admitted  that  some  were  guilty  of  land 
speculations  and  fraudulent  land  grants.  Generally 
speaking,  the  people  were  law-abiding  at  this  time ;  there 
was  little  crime,  and  there  were  but  few  land  suits. 
When  crime  was  committed  it  was  punished  very  severely. 
Seditious  language,  slander  and  libel,  and  stealing  of  horses 
were  dealt  with  in  a  particularly  rigorous  way. 

The  French,  as  we  have  seen,  were  accustomed  to  living  Life  among 
in  villages.     They  built  their   houses   along  one  street, 


AMOUREAUX  HOUSE 

One  of  the  typical  French  houses  in  Missouri  during  the  Spanish 
period.  Note  the  front  and  rear  porches  running  the  entire  width  of 
the  house.  From  Houck's  History  of  Missouri. 

as  a  rule,  though  sometimes  the  village  would  have  two 

or  three  streets.     While  some  of  the  houses  were  of  stone,   i.  Houses 

they  were  generally  built  of  hewn  logs  set  up  on  end  in 

the  ground  or  upon  plates  laid  upon  a  foundation  wall, 

the  space  between  the  logs  being  filled  with  stone,  clay, 

or  mortar.     They  were  rarely  over  one  story  high  and 


56  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

were  usually  wider  than  they  were  deep,  with  porches 
running  along  the  whole  length  of  the  front  and  the  rear. 
The  roof  over  these  porches  was  a  continuation  of  the 
roof  over  the  house  proper.  The  houses  were  usually 
whitewashed  on  the  outside,  and  on  the  ridge  of  the  roof 
a  cross  was  often  placed. 

The  houses  of  the  well-to-do  had  a  chimney  in  the 
middle  dividing  the  dwelling  into  two  rooms,  each  of 
which  had  its  own  large  fireplace.  One  of  these  served 
as  parlor,  dining  room,  and  principal  bedroom,  and  the 
other  as  kitchen.  From  each  of  these  two  main  divisions 
a  room  was  often  partitioned  off  for  use  as  a  private  bed 
room.  Sometimes  the  houses  had  spacious  halls  running 
through  the  center  from  the  front  to  the  back,  and  large 
chimneys  at  the  two  ends.  The  chimneys  were  generally 
made  by  planting  four  posts  so  that  they  would  tend  to 
converge  toward  the  top,  making  the  opening  at  the  top 
almost  half  as  large  as  at  the  hearth.  The  spaces  be 
tween  the  posts  were  filled  with  rock  and  mortar.  Some 
times,  however,  the  wealthier  people  used  stone  in  con 
structing  their  chimneys. 

In  some  cases,  especially  when  servants  were  a  part 
of  the  household,  the  kitchen  was  in  a  detached  building 
several  feet  away  from  the  main  house ;  but  whether  the 
kitchen  was  in  the  main  house  or  in  a  detached  building, 
the  cooking  was  done  in  a  fireplace.  Some  of  the  houses 
had  no  garrets,  but  in  case  they  did  have,  the  garrets 
were  reached  by  means  of  ladders  and  were  lighted  by 
dormer  windows  or  by  windows  at  the  gable  ends. 

The  floors  were  sometimes  made  of  well- joined  planks, 
but  generally  they  were  made  of  puncheons,  that  is,  logs 
that  had  been  hewed  and  joined  together.  Usually  there 
was  a  window  of  eight  or  ten  panes  of  glass  in  each  room. 
These  windows  were  hinged  so  as  to  open  like  doors,  and 
were  protected  on  the  outside  with  heavy  wooden  shut 
ters  which  could  be  closed  when  there  was  danger  of  an 
attack  from  the  Indians. 


MISSOURI   DURING  THE  SPANISH  PERIOD 


57 


When  one  is  reminded  that  all  the  timber  used  during 
this  period  in  the  construction  of  houses  in  what  is  now 
Missouri  was  prepared  by  hand,  one  will  realize  what  a 
task  it  must  have  been  to  erect  a  house  with  even  the 
poorest  of  accommodations.  Moreover,  all  the  nails 
were  made  by  hand,  so  that  most  of  the  timbers  had  to  be 


^nwsfwM^; 


GRATIOT'S  HOUSE 


Another  typical  French  house  in  Missouri  during  the  Spanish  period. 
that  the  logs  are  placed  in  an  upright  position. 


Note 


mortised  and  fastened  together  with  wooden  pegs.  The 
furniture  in  these  houses  was  very  simple,  consisting  of 
beds,  looking-glasses,  a  table  or  two,  and  a  few  chairs. 

Inasmuch  as  the  houses  always  stood  near  the  street, 
the  front  yards  were  very  small,  but  the  back  yards 
were  unusually  large.  Here  were  to  be  found  the  barns, 
outbuildings,  and  quarters  for  the  negro  or  Indian  slaves. 
The  yards  were  inclosed  with  fences  built  of  pickets  that 
were  driven  into  the  ground.  Beyond  the  back  yards 
were  the  vegetable  and  flower  gardens  and  the  orchards, 
which  were  also  inclosed  with  picket  fences. 

Agriculture  was  the  chief  occupation  of  the  villagers.   2.  Farms 
Their  farms  lay  in  one  or  two  great  common  fields  ad-   (a)  Common 


joining  or  near   the  village.     New  Madrid  is  the  only 
village,  among  the  more  important  ones  at  least,   that 


Fields 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


(6)  Com 
mons 


(c)  Agricul 
tural  Imple 
ments 


did  not  have  such  a  field.  Each  common  field  was  di 
vided  into  farm  lots  which  were  much  deeper  than  they 
were  wide.  In  St.  Louis  the  lots  were  one  arpent  wide 
and  forty  deep,  an  arpent  being  a  little  more  than  190 
feet.  As  a  rule  these  lots  lay  parallel  to  each  other,  thus 
having  a  common  front.  Some  of  the  fields  were  of  con 
siderable  size,  that  at  Ste.  Genevieve  containing  3000  acres. 
The  whole  field  was  inclosed  by  a  common  fence,  and 
each  villager  was  required  to  keep  up  his  part.  The  com 
mon  fence  was  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  syndic  of  the 
place  and  a  committee  of  umpires.  These  umpires  in 
spected  the  fence  in  January  of  each  year  and  reported  to 
the  syndic  when  it  needed  repairing.  It  was  necessary 
to  build  fences  that  were  proof  against  cattle  breaking 
through. 

In  addition  to  the  common  field  in  which  the  lots  were 
the  individual  property  of  the  villagers,  there  was  usually 
a  tract  of  land  adjacent  to  each  village  which  was  known 
as  the  " commons"  and  which  belonged  to  the  villagers 
collectively.  This  land  was  inclosed  by  the  settlers  and 
used  by  them  as  common  pasture  for  their  stock,  and 
from  it  they  gathered  their  firewood.  The  " commons" 
was  sometimes  quite  extensive,  that  at  St.  Charles  amount 
ing  to  14,000  arpents.1 

The  agricultural  implements  used  by  these  villagers 
were  very  crude.  Plows  were  made  entirely  of  wood, 
save  a  single  iron  fastening.  Hoes,  spades,  mattocks, 
and  rakes  were  heavy  and  clumsy.  As  a  usual  thing  each 
village  owned  a  harrow  or  two  which  were  used  in  com 
mon.  Owing  to  the  primitive  implements  and  the  un 
scientific  methods  of  cultivation  employed,  the  crop  returns 
were  very  light,  but  the  prices  that  crops  brought  were 
good. 

1  The  arpent  was  used  for  both  surface  and  linear  measurement 
among  the  French.  As  a  unit  of  surface  measurement,  it  varied 
from  f  to  |  of  an  English  acre.  It  is  still  used  in  the  state  of  Louisi 
ana  and  the  province  of  Quebec. 


MISSOURI  DURING  THE  SPANISH  PERIOD  59 

The  carts  or  charettes  were  very  odd-looking  affairs. 
They  were  made  of  two  pieces  of  scantling,  ten  or  twelve 
feet  long,  framed  together  at  one  end  by  two  or  more 
cross  pieces  ;  upon  this  end  the  body  of  wicker  was  placed, 
and  the  whole  was  adjusted  to  the  axle  tree  of  the  two 
solid  wooden  wheels  sawed  from  the  cross  section  of 
a  large  tree,  about  four  feet  in  diameter  and  four  inches 
thick.  The  projecting  ends  of  the  scantling  served  as 
shafts.  This  sort  of  cart  was  used  for  transportation 
of  all  kinds.  Laclede  used  one  in  moving  his  family  from 
Cahokia  to  St.  Louis  in  1764.  Inasmuch  as  the  wheels 
of  these  carts  had  no  iron  tires,  the  American  settlers 
spoke  of  them  as  "barefooted  carts." 

Though  agriculture  was  the  chief  occupation  of  the  3-  Trading 
settlers  in  these  French  villages,  every  one  engaged  more 
or  less  in  hunting  and  in  trading  jn  furs.  Many  were 
accustomed  to  go  out  annually  on  long  expeditions  far 
up  the  Mississippi  and  the  Missouri,  either  on  their  own 
account  or  as  employees  of  others.  The  most  valuable 
furs  were  often  purchased  from  the  Indians  with  trinkets 
of  various  sorts  —  knives,  awls,  hatchets,  kettles,  gay  red 
blankets,  and  the  like.  Often  the  forest  trader  forsook 
civilized  life  almost  altogether  and  allied  himself  in  mar 
riage  with  some  one  of  the  Indian  tribes,  becoming  as 
much  of  a  savage  as  the  Indians  themselves. 

Distant  markets  were  generally  reached  by  boats 
running  up  and  down  the  Mississippi  or  the  Ohio.  Boats 
coming  up  the  Mississippi  were  usually  propelled  by  oars, 
and  when  the  wind  was  favorable  a  sail  was  hoisted. 
But  sometimes  they  were  towed  up  the  river  by  men 
walking  along  the  bank  and  pulling  a  rope  fastened  to 
the  top  of  the  mast  and  to  the  bow  of  the  boat.  The 
labor  necessary  to  get  a  boat  up  the  Mississippi  is  almost 
inconceivable  at  this  day.  Of  course,  going  down  the 
river  was  very  easy.  As  a  rule  the  trip  down  was  made 
in  flatboats  which,  after  the  cargo  was  disposed  of,  were 
broken  up  and  the  timber  in  them  sold.  The  crews, 


6o 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


5.  Dress 


if   they   returned,   would    come    by   land    as   best   they 
could. 

industries  In  some  of  the  villages  there  were  stonemasons,  black 
smiths,  gunsmiths,  and  cabinetmakers.  Spinning  and 
weaving  were  domestic  industries.  The  merchants  of  that 
time  kept  no  open  shops,  but  stored  their  merchandise 
away  in  chests  in  their  homes  and  opened  these  up  to 
prospective  purchasers  as  they  were  called  upon. 

The  dress  of  the  French  settlers  was  plain  and  simple. 
The  men  wore  a  blanket  coat  of  coarse  cloth  with  a  cape 
behind,  which  could  be  thrown  over  the  head.  Both 
men  and  women  wore  blue  handkerchiefs  over  their 
heads  instead  of  hats.  They  also  wore  moccasins  or 
Indian  sandals  on  their  feet.  The  women  followed  the 
fashions  of  New  Orleans  and  Paris  in  so  far  as  they  could, 
and  hence  appeared  neater  than  the  men.  But  the 
men  seem  to  have  been  provided  with  proper  and  neat 
dress  for  church  and  ballroom. 

Though  the  French  settlers  were  living  largely  in  iso 
lation  from  the  world,  they  maintained  in  their  manners 
and  customs  many  of  the  traits  and  characteristics  of 
the  nation  from  which  they  were  descended.  They  were 
noted  for  their  courtesy  and  politeness,  their  fondness  for 
amusement,  their  happy  dispositions,  their  hospitality 
and  democracy  of  spirit,  their  honesty  and  punctuality 
in  meeting  their  obligations,  their  freedom  from  anxiety, 
and  their  peacefulness  and  abhorrence  of  crime.  Their 
chief  amusements  were  card  playing,  billiards,  and  danc 
ing.  At  the  balls  all  classes  met  and  mingled  in  perfect 
equality,  and  the  strictest  decorum  was  observed.  These 
balls  were  generally  held  on  Sundays  after  church 
services. 

Private  schools  were  maintained  in  many  of  the  villages 
in  connection  with  the  village  churches,  and  some  sort  of 
elementary  instruction  was  offered. 

The  French  settlers  were  Catholic  in  religion  and  gave 
considerable  attention  to  religious  festivals  and  pro- 


6.  Manners 


7.  Education 
and  Religion 


MISSOURI   DURING   THE   SPANISH   PERIOD 


6l 


cessions.     The  Christinas  holidays  were  celebrated  with 
especially  attractive  ceremonies. 

The  American  settlers,  as  we  have  seen,  preferred  as  a  Life  of  the 
rule  to  live  not  in  villages,  but  on  isolated  farm  home-   g^"^ 
steads.     Their  dwellings  were  somewhat  unlike  those  of 
the  French.     They  were  usually  double  cabins,  that  is,  the   i.  Houses 
house  was  composed  of  two  distinct  log  pens  or  rooms 
with  an  open  space  about  the  size  of  each  of  the  rooms 
between  them.     This  open  space  between  the  rooms  was 
used  as  a  passageway.     The  logs  in  the  walls  were  laid 
horizontally  upon  each  other  to  the  height  of  eight  or  ten 
feet  instead  of  being  placed  on  end,  as  was  frequently 
done  in  the  French  houses.     The  spaces  between  the  logs 
were  filled  with  clay. 

A  single  roof  covered  the  two  rooms  and  the  open 
space  between.  Sometimes  it  was  extended  over  the 
walls  of  the  rooms  so  as  to  form  a  shed  or  porch  in  the 
front  and  rear.  The  roof  was  made  by  placing  logs  upon 
rafters  and  fastening  them  by  means  of  wooden  pins  and 
notches  and  then  laying  clapboards  four  or  five  feet  long 
on  these  logs.  As  the  clapboards  were  not  nailed  to  the 
logs,  they  were  held  in  place  by  having  three  or  four 
heavy  logs  laid  upon  them  and  fastened  down  at  the  end 
with  withes.  One  or  two  doors  were  cut  into  the  rooms 
and  a  few  small  openings  were  left  for  light  and  air  ;  these 
were  sometimes  glazed.  The  floors  were  puncheons. 
Each  room  had  a  broad  fireplace  made  either  of  wood 
and  clay  or  of  rock.  One  room  served  as  the  kitchen 
and  the  other  as  the  living  room.  In  case  the  family 
owned  slaves,  another  room  or  pen  was  built  a  few  feet 
back  of  the  open  space  between  the  other  two  rooms, 
and  this  was  used  as  the  kitchen.  The  slaves  lived  in 
separate  cabins  back  of  the  house  of  their  master. 

Though  the  American  settlers  raised  a  good  deal  of   2.  Occupa- 
corn  and  wheat  and  turned  out  a  large  number  of  cattle  tlons 
upon  the  range,  they  spent  much  of  their  time  in  hunting 
and  trading  in  furs. 


62 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Daniel 
Boone 


i.  Early 
Life 


2.  In  Ken 
tucky 


The  American  settlers  were  far  from  being  as  cultured 
and  refined  as  the  French,  and  though  by  the  year  1804 
they  were  numerically  stronger  than  the  French,  their 
isolation  had  prevented  them  from  taking  the  lead. 
What  is  now  Missouri  was  therefore  largely  French  in 
character  when  the  United  States  acquired  it. 

By  far  the  most  notable  and  the  most  picturesque  char 
acter  among  the  Americans  who  had  settled  in  what  is 
now  Missouri  prior  to  1804  was  Daniel  Boone.  He  was 

descended  from  a  family  that 
had  emigrated  from  England 
to  Pennsylvania  in  1717. 
Here  Daniel  was  born  in 
1732.  When  he  was  eighteen 
years  old  his  father  moved 
his  family  of  eleven  children 
to  western  North  Carolina, 
following  rather  leisurely  one 
of  the  valleys  of  the  Alle- 
ghany  Mountains  which  runs 
from  Pennsylvania  to  west 
ern  North  Carolina,  along 
which  numerous  other  emi 
grants  also  were  traveling. 

Here  Daniel  married  and  began  the  rearing  of  a  family. 
It  was  not  long,  however,  before  game  became  scarce 
in  that  part  of  North  Carolina,  owing  to  the  increasing 
population ;  and  to  satisfy  his  own  mastering  passion 
for  hunting  and  his  desire  to  live  the  life  of  a  frontiers 
man,  Boone  in  company  with  several  others  began  in  1769 
to  hunt  and  explore  the  Kentucky  region.  After  several 
years  of  adventure,  he  established  Boonesborough  in  1775. 
Before  long  he  found  that  Kentucky  was  becoming  "too 
crowded"  to  suit  him.  Moreover,  he  lost  the  lands  that 
he  had  acquired  in  that  region  through  some  defect  of 
title,  due  to  his  carelessness  in  failing  to  observe  the 
legal  forms  of  entry. 


DANIEL  BOONE 


MISSOURI   DURING  THE   SPANISH  PERIOD  63 

He  finally  migrated  to  Missouri  and  took  up  his  abode  3.  in 
in  the  Femme  Osage  settlement,  which  had  been  estab-  Missoun 
lished  two  years  previously  by  his  son,  Daniel  Morgan 


BOONE'S  CABIN  IN  MISSOURI 

Boone,  near  the  Missouri  River,  about  twenty  miles  above 
St.  Charles.  The  next  year  Boone  was  appointed  syndic 
of  the  settlement  by  Governor  De  Lassus,  and  for  four 
years  he  served  in  this  capacity.  He  was  not  learned  in 


NATHAN  BOONE'S  HOUSE 

In  this  house  Daniel  Boone  died  in  1820.     It  is  still  standing,  three 
miles  north  of  Marthasville,  Missouri. 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


4.  Death 


the  law,  but  he  had  a  strong  sense  of  justice,  and  through 
the  fairness  of  his  decisions  he  won  at  once  the  approbation 
of  his  neighbors.  He  is  said  to  have  resorted  to  methods 
that  were  primitive  and  arbitrary :  he  frequently  used 
whipping  as  the  penalty  for  infractions  of  law  ;  he  did  not 
trouble  himself  about  the  rules  of  evidence,  but  sought  to 
get  at  the  facts  in  the  case  by  the  most  direct  method 
possible. 

Boone's  unfortunate  experience  with  Kentucky  lands 
was  repeated  in  Missouri.  He  had  been  granted  10,000 

acres  by  Governor  De  Lassus 
in  return  for  bringing  into 
Upper  Louisiana  one  hundred 
and  fifty  families  from  Virginia 
and  Kentucky,  but  the  grant 
was  never  confirmed  because 
he  failed  to  get  it  properly  cer 
tified.  Later,  however,  Con 
gress  granted  him  1000  acres 
as  a  mark  of  recognition  for 
his  public  services. 

He  died  in  1820  at  the 
home  of  his  son,  Nathan 
Boone,  three  miles  north  of 
La  Charette,  now  known  as 
Marthasville,  in  Warren 
County,  where,  he  had  spent  most  of  the  time  in  his 
last  years.  Nathan  Boone's  house  was  a  two-story  stone 
building,  the  first  of  its  kind  in  Missouri,  and  is  still 
standing.  Here  visitors  from  all  parts  of  the  country 
came  to  see  Daniel  Boone  and  hear  from  him  the  thrill 
ing  story  of  the  pioneer's  life  in  the  New  West. 

His  body  was  moved  from  Missouri  to  Frankfort,  Ken 
tucky,  in  1845  5  but  his  grave  there  remained  unmarked 
until  1880,  when  a  monument  was  erected  over  it. 


NATHAN  BOONE 

One  of  Daniel  Boone's  sons.     From 
Houck's  History  of  Missouri. 


MISSOURI   DURING  THE   SPANISH  PERIOD 


REFERENCES 

General  —  Carr,  Missouri,  ch.  iii.  Viles,  "  Population  and  Extent 
of  Settlement  in  Missouri  before  1804,"  in  the  Missouri  Historical 
Review,  July,  1911,  pp.  189—213.  A  study  testing  the  sources  of 
information  on  the  subject. 

Westward  Movement  of  Population  —  Houck,  History  of  Mis 
souri,  i,  pp.  329-75. 

Ste.  Genevieve  District —  Houck,  i,  pp.  355-87. 

St.  Louis  District  —  Houck,  ii,  pp.  46-78. 

St.  Charles  District  —  Houck,  ii,  pp.  79-102. 

New  Madrid  District  —  Houck,  ii,  pp.  103-66. 

Cape  Girardeau  District —  Houck,  ii,  pp.  167-92. 

Government —  Houck,  ii,  pp.  192-230. 

Social  Conditions —  Houck,  ii,  pp.  231-86. 

Daniel  Boone  —  Thwaites,  Daniel  Boone,  ch.  xv.  One  of  the  best 
biographies  of  the  great  western  pioneer  that  has  ever  been  written. 
Drawn  from  the  material  that  had  been  collected  by  Dr.  Lyman 
Draper,  who  died  before  he  could  work  it  over  into  a  book.  Bryan, 
"Daniel  Boone,"  in  the  Missouri  Historical  Review  for  January, 
1908,  pp.  89—98  ;  April,  1908,  pp.  198-205  ;  July,  1909,  pp.  293- 
299;  October,  1909,  pp.  29-35;  January,  1910,  pp.  85-91.  A  series 
of  articles  on  Daniel  Boone  dealing  particularly  with  his  life  in 
Missouri. 


TYPE  OF  THE  ROBIDOU  HOUSE 
In  which  the  first  newspaper  was  published  in  1808. 


CHAPTER   IV 


Indian 
Tribes  in 
Missouri  in 
1812 


i.  South  of 


INDIAN  TROUBLES  IN   MISSOURI  DURING  THE 
WAR   OF   1812 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  War  of  1812.] 

DURING  the  War  of  1812  the  settlers  in  what  is  now 
Missouri  were  greatly  troubled  by  Indian  attacks,  many 

of  which  were  inspired  by  the 
British,  with  whom  the  Ameri 
cans  were  at  war.  Inasmuch 
as  these  attacks  had  consider 
able  influence  upon  the  de 
velopment  of  Missouri,  they 
may  well  be  considered  briefly 
in  this  chapter. 

When  the  War  of  1812  broke 
out,  there  were  several  Indian 
tribes  living  within  the  present 
boundaries  of  Missouri.  Among 
them  the  most  important  were 
the  Osages,  the  Sacs  and  Foxes, 
the  Missouris,  the  Shawnees, 
and  the  Delawares.  The  Osages 
were  the  most  numerous,  there 
the  being  about  eight  thousand  of 
them  in  that  region  in  1819. 
They  lived  south  of  the  Mis 
souri  River,  chiefly  along  the  Osage,  a  tributary  of  the  Mis 
souri.  They  were  noted  for  their  athletic  physique,  their 
sobriety,  and  their  warlike  disposition.  They  were  feared 
by  both  Indians  and  whites.  We  have  seen  in  a  former 
chaptef  that  as  a  means  of  protection  against  them  the 

66 


A  SHAWNEE  INDIAN 


From  Stevens'  Missouri, 

Center  State,  by  permission  of  the 
Missouri  Historical  Society. 


INDIAN  TROUBLES   DURING  THE  WAR  OF   1812      67 

Spanish  government  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century  had  authorized  Lorimier  to  bring  in  a  band 
of  Shawnees  and  Delawares  and  settle  them  on  Apple 
Creek  and  other  small  tributaries  of  the  Mississippi, 
near  Cape  Girardeau.  These  Indians,  however,  did 
not  render  the  protection  that  had  been  expected,  and 
the  Osages  continued  to  trouble  the  whites  as  before. 
By  1812  the  Shawnees  and  Delawares  were  to  be 
found  along  the  Whitewater  River  as  well  as  along  the 
Mississippi. 

North  of  the  Missouri  River  were  the  Sacs  and  Foxes   2.  North  of 
and  the  Missouris.     The  Missouris  were  located  near  the  th.e  Missouri 
mouth  of  the  Grand  River,  a  tributary  of  the  Missouri. 
They  were  later  dispersed  by  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  who 
held  the  territory  between  the  Missouri  and  the  Missis 
sippi  as  far  north  as  the  headwaters  of  the  Des  Moines  and 
the  Iowa  rivers.     It  is  customary  to  speak  of  the  Sacs 
and  Foxes  together  because  of  the  thorough  and  complete 
consolidation  of  these  tribes. 

By  the  time  the  War  of  1812  began,  the  population  of   Growth  of 

what  is  now  Missouri  had  grown  to  be  about   20,000,   Settlements, 

1803-12 
having   doubled   since    the   purchase   of    Louisiana  from 

i.  Doubling 

France  in  1803.     But  the  area  of  settlement  had  not  been   Of  Popula- 
extended  very  much.     Most  of  the  newcomers  during   tlon 
the  interval  between  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  and  the 
breaking  out  of  the  War  of  1 8 1 2  had  settled  in  the  territory 
that  had  already  been  occupied,  that  is,  along  the  Mis 
sissippi  and  the  Missouri  from  New  Madrid  up  to  St. 
Charles,  or  had  pushed  out  to  the  west  from  this  region  , 

only  a  few  miles.  Some,  however,  had  undertaken  to  2.  Extension 
establish  themselves  in  isolated  places  farther  up  the 
Mississippi  and  the  Missouri.  A  few  had  gone  up  the 
Mississippi  to  Cuivre  River  in  what  is  now  Lincoln  County, 
and  others  had  gone  as  far  north  as  the  present  Hannibal. 
On  the  Missouri  a  few  men  attempted  to  establish  them 
selves  still  farther  up,  in  what  was  called  Boone's  Lick 
country.  The  name  Boone's  Lick  was  applied-  to  the 


68 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Indian 
Warfare 


i.  Activity 
of  the 

Indians  East 
of  the  Mis 
sissippi 
River 


territory  in  and  around  the  present  Howard  County. 
It  arose  from  the  fact  that  in  1807  two  sons  of  Daniel 
Boone  had  made  salt  at  a  salt  spring,  or  lick,  in  what  is 
now  Howard  County,  and  had  brought  back  to  their 
friends  in  the  older  settlements  an  account  of  the  fine 
agricultural  country  in  that  vicinity.  The  first  attempt  to 
establish  a  settlement  in  this  country  was  made  by  Ben 
jamin  Cooper  in  1808.  He  was  compelled,  however,  to 
abandon  the  effort  for  the  time  being,  because  the  right 
to  the  territory  had  not  been  acquired  from  the  Indians 
at  that  time.  Nevertheless,  by  1812  there  were  several 
hundred  settlers  in  the  Boone's  Lick  country.  During 
the  war,  however,  immigration  to  this  region  was  com 
pletely  stopped  because  of  the  Indian  hostilities,  and 
many  of  the  settlers  who  had  already  established  them 
selves  there  abandoned  their  claims  and  took  up  their 
abode  in  the  more  thickly  settled  regions. 

The  greatest  danger  to  which  Missourians  who  had 
settled  along  the  Mississippi  River  were  exposed  during 
the  war  came  from  the  Indians  living  east  of  that  river, 
who  had  been  stirred  up  by  English  agents.  In  fact, 
these  agents  had  been  active  in  stirring  up  the  Indians 
even  before  the  war  broke  out.  Roving  bands  of  savages 
who  had  been  furnished  with  arms  by  these  English  agents 
had  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  engaged  in  horse  stealing 
and  other  marauding.  After  the  war  was  declared,  the 
Sacs  and  Foxes  who  lived  along  the  Rock  River  in  Illi 
nois  were  induced  to  make  war  against  the  settlers  in 
Missouri,  and  throughout  the  war  they  proved  the  most 
troublesome  of  all  the  Indians  engaged  in  it.  Fortunately 
the  English  were  not  able  to  enlist  the  Indians  west  of 
the  Mississippi  as  they  had  those  to  the  east  of  it.  If 
they  had  succeeded  in  getting  the  Indians  on  both  sides 
of  the  river  to  join  in  a  combined  attack,  all  the  new 
frontier  settlements  in  Missouri  would  have  been  com 
pletely  wiped  out  and  great  loss  would  also  have  been 
inflicted  on  the  older  settlements. 


INDIAN  TROUBLES  DURING  THE  WAR   OF   1812      69 


The  situation,  however,  was  very  serious  and  called 
forth  energetic  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  territorial 
governor  of  Missouri.  The  militia  was  ordered  out, 
and  forts  and  stations  were  established  and  garrisoned. 
Patrols  were  placed  along  the  Mississippi  and  the  Mis 
souri  rivers  and  in  the  more  exposed  districts,  A  volun 
teer  force  of  about  1400  men  was  sent  up  the  Mississippi 
under  General  Howard  in  September,  1813,  to  attack  the 
Illinois  Sacs  and  Foxes,  who  were 
giving  the  most  trouble.  He  was 
unable  to  bring  them  into  open 
battle,  but  he  burned  several  of 
their  villages  and  destroyed  many 
of  their  stores  of  corn,  and  thus  put 
a  check  upon  their  attacks. 

The  situation  became  so  serious 
in  the  Boone's  Lick  country,  be 
cause  of  the  frequent  Indian  raids, 
that  General  Henry  Dodge,  who 
was  in  command  of  the  militia  of 
the  territory,  was  ordered  in  Sep 
tember,  1814,  to  take  a  body  of  350 
mounted  rangers  and  go  to  the 
relief  of  the  settlers  in  that  region 
With  Dodge's  command  there  were  QENERAL 
forty  or  fifty  of  the  friendly  Shaw- 
nees  and  Delawares  from  the  Cape 
Girardeau  District.  On  reaching 

what  is  now  Saline  County,  Dodge  was  able,  through  his 
Indian  allies,  to  locate  the  hostile  Miamis  and  shortly 
afterward  to  effect  their  capture.  The  Miamis,  153  in 
all,  surrendered,  and  were  promised  that  their  lives  should 
be  spared. 

At  no  time  during  the  war  did  the  Indians  take  the 
warpath  in  great  numbers.  They  always  went  in  small 
roving  bands  and  slipped  upon  unsuspecting  settlers  in 
their  homes.  As  the  militia  could  not  be  everywhere  to 


DQDGE 


From  Houck's  History  of 
Missouri. 


2.  Militia 
Expeditions 
under  Gen 
eral  Howard 
and  General 
Dodge 


3.  Erection 
of  Forts 


70  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

ward  off  the  attacks  by  these  bands,  the  settlers  were 
compelled  to  build  forts  and  thus  protect  themselves, 
particularly  in  the  more  remote  settlements.  Some  of 
these  forts  were  built  near  what  is  now  Hannibal  and  in 
what  are  now  St.  Charles,  Lincoln,  Howard,  and  Cole 
counties. 

These  forts  in  most  instances  were  merely  strong 
log  houses  with  a  projecting  upper  story  and  with  loop 
holes  through  which  the  muskets  and  rifles  of  those  in 
side  were  fired.  In  the  large  settlements,  however, 
they  were  stockades  which  inclosed  several  cabins  or 
houses.  Into  these  places  of  defense  the  settlers  would 
flee  when  they  heard  of  an  Indian  attack,  and  remain 
until  the  enemy  had  departed.  It  was  not  often  that 
the  Indians  undertook  to  take  a  fort,  and  when  they 
did  attempt  it,  they  generally  failed.  They  usually 
plundered  the  abandoned  cabins  and  drove  off  the 
horses.  The  settlers  who  were  killed  during  these  raids 
were  those  who  either  were  unable  to  get  into  the  forts 
during  an  attack  or  who  took  risks  in  pursuing  the 
Indians. 

Treaties  of  After  two  years  of  this  sort  of  warfare,  which  kept 
the  settlers  in  an  almost  continuous  state  of  anxiety 
and  fear,  peace  was  finally  made  between  England 
and  the  United  States  in  December,  1814.  At  that 
time  there  were  1200  or  1500  Indian  warriors  along 
Rock  River  and  Des  Moines  River  who  were  still  on 
the  warpath ;  and  it  has  been  asserted  that  even  after 
the  news  of  peace  had  reached  this  country,  they  were 
yet  being  secretly  urged  by  the  English  agents  to  con 
tinue  their  depredations.  However  that  may  have  been, 
peace  with  the  Indians  was  ultimately  secured  at  a  con 
ference  held  at  Portage  des  Sioux  in  the  St.  Charles 
District  in  June,  1815. 

At  this  conference  former  treaties  which  had  been  made 
with  different  tribes  regarding  the  cession  of  Indian  lands 
were  ratified.  One  of  these  treaties  had  been  made  with 


INDIAN  TROUBLES  DURING  THE  WAR  OF   1812      71 

the  Sacs  and  Foxes  in   1804,  according  to  which  they  i.  Ratifica- 

had  ceded,  among  other  lands,  the  territory  bounded  on  JjJJUg0^*8 

two  sides  by  the  Missouri  and  the  Mississippi  and  on  the  Lands  by 

third  side  by  a  line  drawn  from  the  mouth  of  the  Gas-  the ,s£cs 

J  and  Foxes 

conade  River  to  the  river  Jeffron  or  Salt  River,  thirty 
miles  above  its  mouth,  and  then  down  that  river  to  its 
junction  with  the  Mississippi.  The  district  thus  ceded 
included  what  are  now  Marion,  Rails,  Pike,  Lincoln,  St. 
Charles,  Warren,  and  Montgomery  counties,  and  portions 
of  Audrain  and  Monroe  counties.  It  was  later  claimed 
by  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  that  this  treaty  had  been  made  by 
their  chiefs  without  authority,  and  this  was  one  of  the 
principal  causes  of  the  ill  feeling  that  existed  between 
these  tribes  and  the  Americans  during  the  War  of  1812. 
The  treaty  of  1804,  however,  was  ratified  at  the  close 
of  the  war.  It  was  not,  however,  until  1823  that  the  Sacs 
and  Foxes  completed  their  cessions  of  territory  in  Mis 
souri.1 

Another  of  the  treaties  ratified  in  1815  was  the  one  made  2.  Cessions 
in  1808  with  the  Osages.  By  this  treaty  they  had  agreed 
to  cede  to  the  United  States  all  the  land  between  the 
Missouri  and  Mississippi  rivers,  and  the  line  running 
from  Fort  Osage  on  the  Missouri  due  south  to  the  Ar 
kansas  River  and  thence  down  that  river  to  the  Mississippi. 
They  also  ceded  by  this  treaty  whatever  claims  they  had 
to  territory  north  of  the  Missouri  River.  By  a  subse 
quent  treaty,  in  1823,  the  Osages  gave  up  their  right  to 
the  lands  which  they  had  claimed  in  the  western  part  of 

1  Apparently  the  treaty  of  1 804  was  confirmed  in  1815  by  the 
Foxes  and  by  only  those  Sacs  who  resided  on  the  Des  Moines  River. 
It  was  subsequently  confirmed  by  the  Sacs  on  Rock  River  in  1816.  * 
In  1823  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  ceded  all  their  rights  to  the  territory 
north  of  the  Missouri  between  the  Mississippi  and  the  Missouri 
rivers,  and  a  line  on  the  west  running  from  the  mouth  of  Kansas 
River  north  for  100  miles.  In  1830  they  ceded  all  their  claims  to 
that  portion  of  the  territory  that  was  added  to  the  State  in  1836, 
commonly  known  as  the  Platte  Purchase.  This  purchase  included 
Platte,  Buchanan,  Andrew,  Holt,  Nodaway,  and  Atchison  counties. 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Extinction 
of  Indian 
Titles  in 
Missouri 


Munitions 
of  War  from 
Missouri  in 
the  War  of 
1812 


the  State.  These  lands  included  the  territory  within  the 
limits  of  the  present  Jackson,  Cass,  Bates,  Vernon,  Jasper, 
Newton,  and  McDonald  counties. 

At  the  same  time  at  which  the  Osages  made  their  last 
cession,  the  Kansas  Indians  likewise  ceded  whatever 
lands  they  claimed  in  Missouri.  Other  cessions  were 
made  later  by  other  Indians,  such  as  the  Kickapoos, 
the  lowas,  the  Shawnees,  and  the  Delawares,  so  that 
.by  1833  the  title  of  the  Indians  to  lands  in  Missouri - 
amounting  to  over  39,000,000  acres  —  was  completely 
extinguished. 

This  chapter  should  not  be  brought  to  a  close  without 
some  mention  being  made  of  another  part  that  Missouri 
played  in  the  War  of  1812.  It  was  from  Missouri  that 
large  quantities  of  munitions  of  war  were  obtained  for 
the  armies  of  the  United  States  in  this  war.  The  lead 
industry  in  Missouri  was  an  old  one  when  this  war  broke 
out  and  had  had  much  to  do  with  the  early  development 
of  Missouri.  But  just  prior  to  the  beginning  of  the  war  a 
big  improvement  was  made  in  the  manufacture  of  bullets 
in  Missouri,  which  made  the  lead  industry  very  important 
in  that  war._  Heretofore,  the  making  of  bullets  in  Missouri 
had  been  by  the  hand  mold  process,  and  hence  the  out 
put  was  limited.  But  about  1809  John  Nicholas  Maclot, 
a  political  exile  from  France,  made  his  way  to  the  lead 
regions  of  Missouri  and  discovered  that  Herculaneum  of 
fered  certain  facilities  for  the  erection  of  a  shot  tower. 
Just  below  the  town  was  a  high  and  overhanging  cliff, 
and  he  saw  that  about  all  that  was  needed  was  to  erect 
on  the  edge  of  this  cliff  a  place  where  the  lead  could  be 
melted  and  then  dropped  into  some  sort  of  receptacle 
at  the  base.  He  immediately  acted  upon  his  discovery 
and,  after  erecting  a  tower,  advertised  that  he  was  ready 
to  manufacture  buckshot  and  bullets  at  a  reasonable 
price.  It  was  from  this  shot  tower  that  ammunition  was 
sent  in  large  quantities  to  the  armies  of  the  United  States 
in  the  War  of  1812,  and  the  victory  of  New  Orleans  in 


INDIAN  TROUBLES  DURING  THE   WAR   OF   1812      73 

1815  is  said  to  have  been  won  with  the  bullets  that  had 
been  manufactured  there. 


REFERENCES 

Houck,  History  of  Missouri,  vol.  iii,  ch.  xxvi.  Carr,  Missouri,  pp. 
98-108.  Ferrill,  "Missouri  Military  in  the  War  of  1812,"  in  the 
Missouri  Historical  Review,  October,  1909,  pp.  38-41.  A  brief 
article  showing  that  Missouri  furnished  a  number  of  recruits  for  the 
War  of  1812. 


OLD  EORT  AND  STOCKADE 


CHAPTER  V 


Increase  in 
Population 
in  Missouri 
by  1820 


i.  Immigra 
tion  from 
Virginia, 
Kentucky, 
and  Other 
States 


CONDITIONS   IN   MISSOURI   DURING   THE   TERRITORIAL 

PERIOD 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  Missouri  Compromise.] 

THE  Indian  troubles  that  Missouri  experienced  during 
the  War  of  1812  came  to  an  end  through  the  ratification 
of  various  treaties  with  the  different  Indian  tribes  in  1815, 
as  we  have  just  seen  in  the  preceding  chapter.  With 
peace  once  more  established  the  growth  of  Missouri  was 
resumed,  and  within  six  years  she  was  admitted  into  the 
Union  as  the  twenty-fourth  state.  Inasmuch  as  it  is  a 
matter  of  interest  and  importance  to  know  what  con 
ditions  prevailed  in  Missouri  on  the  eve  of  her  admission 
into  the  Union,  this  chapter  will  be  devoted  to  that  topic. 

Notwithstanding  the  distress  that  was  incident  to  the 
War  of  1812,  there  had  been  an  actual  increase  in  the 
population  of  the  territory  of  Missouri  during  the  period 
of  that  conflict.  The  population  was  20,845  m  1810, 
and  in  1814  it  was  more  than  25,000.  But  this  increase 
is  nothing  as  compared  to  that  which  occurred  during  the 
five  years  following  the  close  of  the  war.  By  1820  the 
population  had  grown  to  more  than  66,000,  an  increase 
of  150  per  cent. 

Most  of  the  people  who  settled  in  what  is  now  Missouri 
during  the  five  years  from  1815  to  1820  came  from  Vir 
ginia,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and  the  Carolinas.  Ken 
tucky  and  Tennessee  were  by  this  time  becoming  popu 
lated  at  least  to  the  extent  that  good  lands  were  no  longer 
to  be  had  cheaply ;  hence,  many  migrated  from  there  to 
Missouri,  where  land  could  be  obtained  at  a  low  price  and 

74 


CONDITIONS   DURING  THE  TERRITORIAL  PERIOD      75 

in  large  amounts.  At  one  time  it  was  reported  that  on 
an  average  about  500  people  crossed  the  Mississippi  to 
St.  Louis  every  day,  and  that  most  of  these  newcomers 
brought  slaves  with  them.  Of  course,  the  rapid  influx 
of  people  into  Missouri  had  its  effect  on  the  price  of  land. 
One  man,  writing  in  January,  1815,  said  that  while  land 
could  yet  be  bought  very  cheaply,  the  price  was  fast 
rising.  He  had  bought  some  land  three  years  previously 
at  ten  cents  an  acre,  and  had  recently  been  offered  eight 
dollars  an  acre  for  it.  Town  lots  in  Franklin,  Howard 
County,  had  in  one  year  gone  up  from  $50  to  $600.  It 
is  not  to  be  supposed  that  land  everywhere  in  Missouri 
had  risen  in  value  to  that  degree,  but  what  was  true  in 
the  cases  just  cited  was  doubtless  true  in  many  others 
at  that  time. 

Many  of  the  new  immigrants  to  Missouri  stopped  in   2.  Growth  of 
those  portions  of  the  territory  that  had  already  been   settlements 
settled,  but  most  of  them  went  either  up  the  Missouri  in  Missouri 
to  Boone's  Lick  and  even  farther,  or  up  the  Mississippi 
toward  what  is  now  Hannibal.1     Of  the  66,000  or  more 
people  in  the  Missouri  Territory  in  1820,  fully  20,000  were 
to  be  found  in  the  counties  along  the  Missouri  above  St. 
Charles  and  St.  Louis  counties,  and  fully  10,000  were  to 
be  found  in  the  counties  along  the  Mississippi  north  of 
the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  including  St.  Charles,  Lincoln, 
and  Pike  counties. 

Some  of  these  new  settlements  in  the  interior  had 
phenomenal  growth.  Franklin,  for  example,  was  founded 
on  the  Missouri  River  opposite  Boonville  in  1817,  and 
within  one  year  it  contained  150  houses.  By  1820  it 
was  the  second  place  in  the  territory  in  importance,  having 
a  population  of  more  than  1000.  Unfortunately,  however, 
it  was  situated  on  low  bottom  land,  and  within  ten  years 
it  had  been  washed  away  completely  by  the  Missouri 
River ;  but  with  its  disappearance  Boonville,  which  had 

1  At  least  two  roads  had  been  opened  up  to  the  Boone's  Lick 
country,  one  from  St.  Charles  to  Franklin  and  the  other  from  Potosi. 


76  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

been  founded  in  1819  and  which  had  grown  very  slowly 
at  first,  began  to  develop  rapidly.  Chariton  was  another 
interior  town  that  grew  up  quickly.  It  was  established  in 
1818  and  within  a  year's  time  contained  50  houses  and 
500  people. 

During  the  five  years  intervening  between  1815  and 
1820,  settlements  were  made  in  every  one  of  the  present 
counties  lying  on  both  sides  of  the  Missouri  River  as  far 
up  as  Ray  and  Lafayette.  Moreover,  a  few  settlers  made 
their  way  into  the  southwestern  part  of  the  State,  coming 
up  the  White  River  from  Arkansas  and  settling  in  the 
neighborhood  of  what  is  now  Springfield.  As  was  natural, 
St.  Louis  shared  in  this  rapid  development  that  was  going 
on  throughout  the  territory.  It  had  come  to  be  the 
commercial  center  of  what  is  now  Missouri  very  shortly 
after  it  was  founded,  and  has  retained  that  position  ever 
since.  Its  population  had  increased  from  1000  in  1804 
to  5000  in  1820,  and  although  the  American  element  had 
become  strong  and  numerous,  the  place  had  not  alto 
gether  lost  its  French  character  by  1820.  The  old  French 
families  were  still  the  leaders  in  business  and  in  society, 
and  like  the  present  city  of  Montreal  in  Canada,  both 
French  and  English  were  heard  on  the  streets  of  St.  Louis 
to  about  the  same  extent. 

3.  Decline  in       There  was  only  one  part  of  the  territory  that  decreased 

p°Pul^tion      in  its  population  during  the  territorial  period,  and  that 

Madrid          was  the  region  around  New  Madrid.     This  was  due  to 

District          the  earthquake  that  occurred  in  1811.     The  land  there 

was  always  more  or  less  swampy  and  did  not  attract 

farmers  very  strongly.     After  a  time  the  game  was  killed 

off  and  the  Indians  moved  away,  thus  bringing  about 

a   decrease   in   the   Indian   traffic.     Already   dissatisfied 

with  the  country,  the  people  were  not  slow  in  abandoning 

it  by  the  hundreds  after  the  earthquake.     Of   the    200 

families  that,  prior  to  the  catastrophe,  lived  at  Little 

Prairie,   now   Caruthersville,   only   two   remained.     The 

region  most  violently  affected  by  the  earthquake  was 


CONDITIONS   DURING  THE  TERRITORIAL   PERIOD      77 


about  thirty  miles 
square,  including 
what  are  now  New 
Madrid  and  Pemiscot 
counties,  from  the 
towns  of  New  Ma 
drid  to  Little  Prairie. 
Certain  parts  of  this 
affected  district  have 
never  fully  recovered 
from  the  disaster.  In 
recent  years,  however, 
something  has  been 
done  toward  reclaim 
ing  the  swamps  of 
southeastern  Mis 
souri,  and  there  is 
promise  now  of  good 
returns  in  the  near 
future  from  these 
efforts.1 

As  was  natural,  this 
increase  in  population 
that  we  have  been 
noting  —  especially 
between  1815  and 


1804- 


DISTRICT  OF  LOUISIANA,  1804 

Showing  the  five  districts  (later  called  counties)  into 
1820 led  to  the  for-      which  it   was  divided.     Reproduced   by  permission  of 

mation  of  new  coun-    £jj^tical  ^^  Department  of  the  University 'of 
ties.      In   1804  there 

were  just  five  districts  in  Upper  Louisiana ;  namely,  St.   Formation 
Charles,  St.  Louis,  Ste.  Gene  vie  ve,  Cape  Girardeau,  and  counties 
New  Madrid.     They  stretched  along  the  Mississippi  with   1804-20 ' 

1  Congress  was  appealed  to  in  behalf  of  the  New  Madrid  sufferers 
and  passed  an  act  in  1816  extending  liberal  relief.  The  landowners 
whose  lands  were  damaged  by  the  earthquake  were  permitted  to 
give  up  their  holdings  and  to  take  in  exchange  an  equal  amount  of 
government  land  anywhere  else.  "This  opened  a  wide  door  and 


78 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


1813 


no  definite  boundaries 
to  the  west.  No 
change  was  made  in 
this  arrangement  until 
1812,  when  the  five 
districts  were  by  proc 
lamation  of  the  terri 
torial  governor  re 
organized  into  five 
counties.  Later  in  the 
same  year  that  portion 
of  Ste.  Genevieve 
County  around  what 
was  called  Mine  a 
Breton,  now  Potosi, 
was  set  apart  by  the 
territorial  legislature 
as  Washington  Coun 
ty.  In  1813  what  is 
now  the  state  of  Ar 
kansas  was  nominally 
a  part  of  New  Madrid 
County.  In  1815 
Lawrence  County  was 
created  out  of  New 
Madrid  County,  and 
in  1816  all  the  terri 
tory  north  of  the  Osage 
River  was  erected  into 
Howard  County,  including  what  had  been  parts  of  St.  Louis 

brought  on  speculation  and  litigation.  The  actual  sufferers  were  in 
nearly  every  instance  defrauded."  Before  they  could  find  out 
that  Congress  had  provided  this  means  of  relief  for  them,  they 
were  besieged  with  land  speculators  who  bought  up  the  injured 
lands  for  a  trifle  and  proceeded  to  exchange  them  for  valuable 
government  lands  elsewhere.  When  the  more  unscrupulous  and 
dishonest  New  Madrid  settlers  discovered  what  was  going  on, 
they  sold  some  claims  several  times  to  different  speculators,  and, 


TERRITORY  OF  MISSOURI,   1813 

Showing  the  seven  counties  into  which  it  was 
divided.  Reproduced  by  permission  of  the  Political 
Science  Department  of  the  University  of  Missouri. 


CONDITIONS   DURING  THE  TERRITORIAL  PERIOD      79 


and  St.  Charles  coun 
ties.  The  Boone's  Lick 
country  lay  within  the 
borders  of  Howard 
County  in  I8I6.1  Be 
cause  of  the  fact  that 
thirty-one  counties 
were  later  carved  out 
of  the  original  Howard 
County,  she  has  borne 
the  name  of  "Mother 
of  Counties." 

In  1 8 1 8  Lawrence 
County  was  abolished 
and  eight  new  counties 
were  established  as 
follows  :  Wayne  out  of 
Cape  Girardeau  and 
Lawrence ;  Franklin 
out  of  St.  Louis  ;  Pike, 
Montgomery,  and  Lin 
coln  out  of  St.  Charles  ; 
Jefferson  out  of  St. 
Louis  and  Ste.  Gene- 
vieve  ;  Madison  out 
of  Ste.  Gene  vie  ve  and 
Cape  Girardeau ; 
Cooper  out  of  How 
ard.2  In  1820  Callaway,  Boone,  Chariton,  and  Ray  were 

of  course,  this  brought  on  litigation.  Under  the  New  Madrid 
certificates  which  were  issued  by  the  St.  Louis  land  office  to  the 
owners  of  land  injured  by  the  earthquake,  much  valuable  land  was 
taken  up  in  the  Boone's  Lick  territory  and  near  St.  Louis  and  even 
around  Chicago. 

1  In   1916  Howard  County  appropriately  celebrated  in  a  very 
elaborate  way  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  her  founding. 

2  At  the  same   time   Arkansas   County  was  divided    into  four 
counties,  Pulaski,  Clark,  Hempstead,  and  Arkansas. 


TERRITORY  OF  MISSOURI,   1816 

Showing  nine  counties.  Reproduced  by  permission 
of  the  Political  Science  Department  of  the  University 
of  Missouri. 


8o 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


1819 


created  out  of   Howard ;    Lillard,  Saline,  and  Cole  out 
of   Cooper ;    Gasconade   out   of   Franklin ;    Rails  out  of 

Pike ;    and  Perry  out 
of  Ste.  Gene  vie  ve. 

Meanwhile  the  terri 
tory  of  Arkansas  had 
been  organized  in  1 8 1 9 
by  cutting  off  that 
portion  of  the  Mis 
souri  territory  that 
comprises  the  present 
states  of  Arkansas  and 
Oklahoma. 

It  will  be  noted 
from  this  summary 
that  at  the  time  Mis 
souri  was  admitted 
into  the  Union  in  1821 
there  were  twenty-five 
counties  in  the  State, 
and  by  consulting  the 
maps  in  this  chapter 
one  will  see  that  these 
counties  were  strung 
along  the  Mississippi 
and  the  Missouri  in 
the  shape  of  a  rough 
letter  T,  —  a  double 
tier  of  counties  along 
the  Mississippi,  and  a 
row  of  them  along 
each  side  of  the  Mis 
souri  up  to  what  is 

now  Kansas  City.     The  rest  of  the  State  outside  of  these 
counties  was  practically  unsettled. 

Notwithstanding   this   rapid   increase   in   the   popula 
tion   of    Missouri,  it   was   still   in   the  pioneer  stage  in 


TERRITORY  OF  MISSOURI,  JAN.    r,   1819 

Showing  twenty-two  counties.  On  March  2,  1819, 
the  Territory  of  Arkansas  was  created  by  Congress, 
thus  cutting  off  the  lower  counties  of  the  Territory  of 
Missouri  as  shown  in  this  map.  Reproduced  by  per 
mission  of  the  Political  Science  Department  of  the 
University  of  Missouri. 


CONDITIONS   DURING  THE   TERRITORIAL   PERIOD      8 1 


1820.     It  was  after  all  but  sparsely  settled,  the  average  Pioneer 
density  throughout  the  State  being  only  one  person  to 
every  square  mile.1     Even  if  only  those  sections  of  the 


1821 


MISSOURI  COUNTIES  IN  1821 

Missouri  was  divided  into  twenty-five  counties  at  the  time  of  her  admission 
into  the  Union.  Reproduced  by  permission  of  the  Political  Science  Depart 
ment  of  the  University  of  Missouri. 

State  that  contained  any  settlements  at  all  be  considered, 
there  were  not  more  than  three  persons  to  the  square 
mile.  Moreover,  Missouri  was  the  most  western  section 

1  According  to  the  census  of  1910  the  present  average  density 
of  population  in  Missouri  is  a  little  over  48  per  square  mile.  The 
population  is  3,293,335,  and  the  area  68,736  square  miles. 


$2  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

of  the  United  States ;  beyond  it  lay  a  vast  stretch 
of  western  country  as  yet  unsettled  and  but  little  ex 
plored.  Life  in  Missouri  in  1820,  therefore,  presented 
many  of  the  usual  characteristics  of  the  frontier  com 
munity. 

i.  Turbu-  But  a  new  type  of  frontier  or  pioneer  life  was  being 

D^def  developed  in  Missouri  during  the  period  between  the 
purchase  of  Louisiana  in  1803  and  the  admission  of 
Missouri  as  a  state  in  1821.  Prior  to  1803  the  comfortable 
and  easy-going  French  way  of  living,  as  has  already  been 
said,  prevailed  in  the  villages.  During  the  period  of 
Spanish  domination  the  people  had  no  share  in  the  govern 
ment  except  in  the  most  trifling  local  matters,  and  they 
seemingly  did  not  care  to  have  any  more.  Political 
discussion  was  unknown.  Thanks  to  the  almost  des 
potic  military  and  civil  authority,  the  Spanish  officials 
were  able  to  maintain  very  good  order  among  the  pioneer 
American  emigrants  who,  even  before  1803,  had  come  to 
outnumber  the  French  inhabitants. 

With  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  a  great  change  came 
over  the  situation.  The  despotic  authority  of  the  Spanish 
officials  gave  way  to  the  milder  popular  rule  of  the  Amer 
icans.  But  this  was  by  no  means  conducive  to  good 
order.  Many  of  the  Americans  already  settled  in  the 
country,  who  had  been  law-abiding  because  they  feared 
the  summary  jurisdiction  of  Spanish  courts,  now  became 
turbulent  and  lawless.  In  addition,  a  great  many  men 
bent  on  adventure,  some  of  whom  were  depraved  in  char 
acter,  came  flocking  in.  As  a  result  a  great  deal  of  dis 
order  arose,  and  riots,  contentions,  and  violence  were  not 
uncommon. 

(a)  Drunken-  The  sale  of  liquor,  which  had  been  carefully  controlled 
Gamblin  ^Y  the  Spanish  government,  was  now  allowed  without 
restriction  at  " taverns  and  groceries."  This  made  in 
evitable  a  great  deal  of  drunkenness.  Gambling,  the 
twin  evil  of  drunkenness,  likewise  prevailed  very  exten 
sively  and  openly.  Professional  men,  civil  and  military 


CONDITIONS   DURING   THE   TERRITORIAL   PERIOD      83 

officials,    merchants,  and    Indian    traders,  all   indulged. 
Profanity  was  quite  common. 

Sunday  desecration  became  usual.     On  Sunday  more   (b)  Sunday 
trading  was  done  than  on  any. other  day  in  the  week,   Desecratlon 
and  no  kind  of  labor  was  suspended  on  account  of  the 
day.     But  many  found  it  possible  on  that  day  to  give 
themselves  to  amusements  of  all  sorts,  some  of  which  were 
very  questionable  at  any  time,  and  frequently  the  Sab 
bath  closed  with  fighting. 

But  fighting  was  not  confined  to  Sunday.  It  was  (c)  Fighting 
likely  to  occur  at  any  time,  especially  among  the  river 
men  and  those  who  worked  in  the  lead  mines.  They 
were  a  roving  lot  of  men  given  to  hard  drinking  and 
quarreling,  and  they  often  wound  up  their  sprees  in  very 
brutal  and  often  fatal  combats. 

A  more  "dignified"  form  of  combat  prevailed  among 
the  better  classes  —  the  duel.  This  was  fought  generally 
with  pistols,  and  the  effort  on  the  part  of  each  antagonist 
was  to  kill,  not  merely  to  wound  as  in  the  case  of  certain 
European  duels.  Men  resorted  to  the  duel  in  order  to 
determine  who  was  the  "best  man,"  and  it  was  expected 
that  those  who  were  personal  rivals,  especially  among  the 
doctors,  lawyers,  and  politicians,  would  some  time  or 
other  meet  on  the  " field  of  honor"  and  settle  their  dif 
ferences  by  means  of  arms.  For  that  reason  the  most  triv 
ial  circumstances  would  often  bring  forth  a  challenge  ;  and 
to  refuse  to  accept  a  challenge  was  a  confession  of  cow 
ardice  ;  and  to  be  branded  a  coward  meant  ostracism  and 
the  winding  up  of  one's  career,  in  that  part  of  the  world, 
at  least.  The  number  of  prominent  men  in  Missouri 
who  engaged  in  duels  either  as  principals  or  seconds  was 
very  large,  and  is  a  sad  commentary  on  the  moral  stand 
ards  of  the  time. 

It  is  almost  needless  to  say  that  everybody  went  armed 
most  of  the  time,  even  at  social  functions  and  during 
sessions  of  court.  Generally  these  weapons  were  con 
cealed,  but  sometimes  they  were  carried  in  full  sight. 


84 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


(</)  Raids  on 
Indians 


2.  Specula 
tions 


3.  Political 
Agitations 


Indications 
of  Progress 


i.  Profes 
sional 
Classes 


2.  Schools 


Daggers  and  pistols  were  the  usual  weapons  that  were 
thus  borne  about. 

The  Indians  who  had  been  protected  by  the  Spanish 
government  were  now  made  to  feel  the  effects  of  the 
hostile  attitude  of  the  Americans  toward  them.  The 
Americans  generally  thought  that  "the  only  good  Indian 
is  a  dead  one."  The  villages  of  the  Indians  were  there 
fore  raided  and  their  property  and  horses  stolen. 

Speculations  soon  became  rife,  and  fraudulent  schemes 
of  various  kinds  were  hatched  up.  Different  enterprises 
were  started  only  to  end  in  bankruptcy,  dragging  a  great 
many  people  down  into  financial  ruin. 

The  times  were  also  marked  by  a  great  deal  of  agita 
tion  on  many  different  subjects,  especially  politics. 
Political  discussions  were  often  nothing  more  than  dis 
putes  carried  on  very  boisterously,  with  much  show  of 
feeling  and  violence  and  very  little  of  reasoning. 

There  is  another  side,  however,  to  this  rather  unlovely 
picture.  Not  everybody  in  Missouri  was  given  to  the 
things  that  have  just  been  enumerated.  There  were 
many  refined  and  intelligent  residents  in  the  new  terri 
tory,  especially  in  St.  Louis,  where  cordial  relations  were 
maintained  among  the  leading  French  and  American 
families.  In  several  towns  private  libraries  of  sufficient 
importance  to  attract  public  attention  were  formed. 
Physicians  and  surgeons,  teachers  and  lawyers  of  consider 
able  ability  began  to  come  in  and  establish  themselves. 

Many  private  schools  were  now  being  founded  and, 
though  very  elementary  as  a  rule,  they  offered  opportuni 
ties  for  acquiring  the  rudiments  of  an  education.  Dur 
ing  the  Spanish  period  there  had  been  but  very  few 
schools  in  what  is  now  Missouri,  and  these,  as  well  as  the 
ones  established  during  the  territorial  period,  were  con 
fined  to  the  villages  and  towns.  Unfortunately,  there 
were  none  to  be  found  in  the  backwoods,  and  hence  the 
children  of  these  regions  grew  up  in  almost  complete 
ignorance,  and  were  therefore  very  quarrelsome. 


CONDITIONS   DURING  THE  TERRITORIAL  PERIOD      85 


Practically  nothing  was  done,  however,  during  the 
territorial  period  toward  the  establishing  of  public  schools, 
except  an  act  passed  by  Congress  in  1812,  which  provided 
that  all  lots  and  out  lots,  common  fields,  and  commons 
in  Portage  des  Sioux,  St.  Charles,  St.  Louis,  St.  Fer 
dinand  (Florissant),  Village  a  Robert,  and  Little  Prairie 
(Caruthersville) ,  not  rightfully  owned  or  claimed  by  any 
private  individual,  should  be  granted  to  the  several  towns 
for  school  purposes.  This  grant  is  said  to  have  become 
the  foundation  on  which  the  system  of  public  schools  of 
St.  Louis  was  built.  In  1817  the  territorial  legislature 
passed  an  act  providing  for  the  organization  of  the  St. 
Louis  public  schools. 

During  the  territorial  period  Protestant  churches  were 
firmly  established  in  almost  all  of  the  settled  areas.  Not 
withstanding  the  Spanish  restrictions  against  Protestants, 
mention  of  which  was  made  in  the  preceding  chapter, 
they  came  to  what  is  now  Missouri  in  large  numbers 
during  the  Spanish  period,  thanks  to  the  rather  loose 
manner  in  which  the  religious  regulations  concerning  the 
admission  of  immigrants  were  administered.  Only  oc 
casionally  did  prospective  Protestant  immigrants  find 
the  tests  so  intolerable  that  they  turned  back  and  settled 
elsewhere.  But  since  they  were  not  allowed  to  maintain 
public  worship  or  to  organize  congregations,  they  degen 
erated  in  their  morals  and  faith.  After  the  purchase  of 
Louisiana,  however,  all  religious  restrictions  were  removed, 
and  Protestant  preachers  and  missionaries  began  to  come 
in  fairly  large  numbers  and  to  take  up  with  great  zeal 
the  work  of  organizing  the  Protestant  churches. 

Before  1820  all  the  important  Protestant  churches  had 
organizations  in  Missouri,  but  the  Baptists  and  Metho 
dists  had  the  greatest  success  in  getting  themselves  es 
tablished.  The  explanation  of  this  fact  is  to  be  found 
first  of  all  in  the  system  of  itinerancy  that  prevailed  in 
the  Baptist  and  Methodist  churches.  They  had  no  such 
educational  qualifications  for  their  ministers  as  had  the 


3.  Churches 


(a)   Removal 
of  Religious 
Restrictions 


(b)  Adapta 
bility  of 
Baptists  and 
Methodists 
to  Pioneer 
Conditions 


86 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


(c)  Baptists 
in  Missouri 


Presbyterians,  the  Congregationalists,  and  the  Episco 
palians,  and  hence  any  man  who  felt  called  upon  to  enter 
the  field  was  sent.  The  sparse  population  of  the  country 
made  it  necessary  for  these  preachers  to  travel  in  long 
circuits  from  place  to  place  on  horseback  or  on  foot,  and 
often  through  unsettled  portions  of  the  country.  They 
took  up  this  work  gladly,  and  often  they  were  the  only 
ministers  that  ever  reached  the  remote  and  out-of-the- 
way  settlements  in  this  early  period. 

In  the  second  place,  the  style  of  preaching  of  the  Baptist 
and  Methodist  ministers  enabled  them  to  appeal  more 
effectively  to  the  people  than  that  of  the  preachers  of 
the  other  denominations.  Most  of  their  preaching  was 
of  an  elemental  character  and  was  directed  to  the  emotions 
of  their  hearers,  and  inasmuch  as  they  themselves  were  very 
much  like  the  people  among  whom  they  worked,  they  knew 
how  to  drive  home  their  appeals  and  exhortations.  They 
were  not  any  more  zealous  or  self-sacrificing  than  those 
of  other  denominations,  but  they  knew  how  to  adapt  them 
selves  more  readily 
to  the  conditions 
under  which  they 
had  to  labor,  and 
as  a  result  they 
early  obtained  the 
lead  in  the  reli 
gious  life  of  the 
country. 

To  the  Baptists 
belongs  the  honor 
of  having  organ 
ized  the  first  Pro 
testant  church  in 
what  is  now  Missouri.  Properly  enough  it  was  organized 
in  that  section  which  was  from  the  first  purely  American, 
namely,  Cape  Girardeau.  In  1806  a  Baptist  preacher 
by  the  name  of  Daniel  Green  came  from  Kentucky  to 


BETHEL  BAPTIST  CHURCH 

The  first  Baptist  church  building  west  of  the 
Mississippi  River.  Erected  in  1806  near  Cape 
Girardeau.  It  long  ago  disappeared. 


CONDITIONS   DURING  THE  TERRITORIAL  PERIOD      87 


REV.  JOHN  MASON  PECK 

The  most  prominent  of  the  early 
pioneer  Baptist  preachers  in  Mis 
souri. 


Missouri  and  began  to  preach 
in  the  various  settlements  of 
Cape  Girardeau  District. 
During  that  year  he  organ 
ized  the  Bethel  Baptist 
Church,  and  a  small  log 
church  building  was  erected 
for  the  use  of  the  congrega 
tion.  It  is  true  a  preacher 
belonging  to  the  German 
Reformed  Church  came  into 
the  Cape  Girardeau  District 
in  1803  and  preached  at 
many  places  in  the  district 
to  the  Germans  who  had 
settled  there,  and  effected 
some  sort  of  an  organization 

before  1806.  But  what  he  did  was  not  so  definite  as 
that  which  was  done  by  Green,  and  for  this  reason  the 
credit  of  establishing  the  first  Protestant  church  organiza 
tion  is  generally  given  to  the  Baptists.  In  all  probability 
there  were  other  Protestants  going  about  from  place  to 
place  preaching  before  1806,  but  there  seems  to  be  no 

record  of  the  fact. 

At  about  the  same 
time  at  which  Bethel 
Church  was  estab 
lished  by  the  Baptists 
in  the  Cape  Girar-  (d)  Metho- 
deau  District,  the 
Methodists  organized 
one  in  the  same  dis 
trict  at  McKendree, 
CHAPEL  about  three  miles 

The  first  Methodist  church  building   west    of  from    the    present 
the    Mississippi    River.     Erected    in    1806    near  4-  n.xrri    nf    Tar*  Venn 
Jackson,  Missouri.    It  is  still  used  by  a  Methodist  tOWn    Ct    J  a  C  ^  S  °  n  • 

congregation.  Soon  after  that  a  log 


dists  in 
Missouri 


88 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


(e)  Protes 
tant 

Churches  in 
St.  Louis 


(/)  Influence 
of  Pioneer 
Preachers 


house  of  worship  was  built,  and  though  it  has  been 
altered  somewhat  it  still  stands  and  is  still  used  by  a 
Methodist  congregation.  The  Missouri  Conference  was 

organized  in  1816,  and  con 
sisted  at  that  time  of  four 
circuits.1 

No  Protestant  church 
seems  to  have  been  estab 
lished  in  St.  Louis  until  1816, 
when  Timothy  Flint  arrived 
and  proceeded  to  organize  a 
Presbyterian  church.  The 
Baptists  did  not  organize  a 
church  in  St.  Louis  until 
1818.  The  Episcopalians 
established  themselves  there 
in  1819,  and  it  appears  that 
the  Methodists  did  not  un 
dertake  work  there  until 
1820. 

No  other  men  labored  so 
hard  and  faithfully  with  so 
little  remuneration  as  did  the  pioneer  preachers  of  Mis 
souri.  It  was  the  prevailing  idea  among  the  early  Amer 
ican  settlers  that  "ministers  ought  to  preach  without 
hope  or  promise  of  any  compensation  from  their  hearers 
or  congregations,"  and  many  a  preacher  felt  the  full 
effects  of  this  fixed  notion.  To  a  certain  extent  the 
preachers  themselves  were  responsible  for  this  condition, 
especially  for  its  continuance.  In  time  better  educated 
ministers  began  to  appear  even  among  the  Baptists  and 
Methodists,  and  they,  of  course,  expected  remuneration 
of  some  sort.  But  the  uneducated  pioneer  preachers 

1  In  1916  the  various  Conferences  of  the  M.  E.  Church  and 
M.  E.  Church,  South,  in  Missouri  held  appropriate  celebrations 
in  commemoration  of  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  found 
ing  of  the  Missouri  Conference  in  1816. 


BISHOP    McKENDREE 

Presiding  bishop  over  the  Metho 
dist  Conference  held  at  Mt.  Zion 
Church  in  1818,  the  first  one  ever 
held  west  of  the  Mississippi  River. 
From  Houck's  History  of  Missouri. 


CONDITIONS   DURING  THE  TERRITORIAL  PERIOD      89 

opposed  the  newcomers  as  being  intruders  upon  their 
fields,  and  proclaimed  very  loudly  against  pay  being  given 
to  any  minister  for  his  services. 

It  is  not  possible  to  measure  the  influence  that  these 
pioneer  preachers  exerted  upon  their  times.  Many  of 
them  were  given  in  a  measure  to  some  of  the  besetting 
sins  of  their  people,  such  as  drinking.  But,  allowing 
for  whatever  shortcomings  they  may  have  had,  they 
were  sincere  and  devoted  to  their  work,  and  they  played 
no  small  part  in  the  task  of  taming  the  wild  spirits  of  the 
frontier  and  in  bringing  the  country  to  a  more  settled 
condition  of  life. 

The  transfer  of  Louisiana  to  the  United  States  in  1803    (g)  Catholics 
had  for  the  time  being  a  very  injurious  effect  upon  the  m  Missoun 
Catholic  Church  throughout  that  territory.     The  priests 


SECOND  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  BUILDING  IN  ST.  Louis 

Erected  in  1776  on  the  site  of  the  first  building,  which  soon  became  unfit 
for  use.  The  walls  in  this  second  building  were  made  of  logs  placed  upright, 
and  the  interstices  were  filled  with  clay  and  straw.  From  Houck's  History  of 
Missouri. 


were  no  longer  sure  of  fixed  salaries  under  the  auspices  of 
the  government  as  they  had  been  under  Spain,  and 
all  but  a  very  few  of  them  left  their  posts  and  returned 
to  Spain  or  Cuba.  Probably  they  disliked  the  idea  of 
being  under  American  rule,  and  perhaps  the  prospect 
of  poverty  had  something  to  do  with  their  leaving  the 
territory. 


9o 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


For  the  next  few  years  after  1803  the  affairs  of  the 
Catholic  Church  in  what  is  now  Missouri  dragged  along 

in  a  very  unsatisfactory 
manner.  This  was  espe 
cially  true  in  St.  Louis,  which 
was  without  a  resident  priest 
for  most  of  the  time  from 
1803  to  1818.  During  that 
period  the  spiritual  welfare 
of  the  faithful  in  St.  Louis 
was  attended  to  by  priests 
who  lived  in  other  settle 
ments  in  the  Illinois  and  the 
Missouri  country  and  who 
made  occasional  visits  to  St. 
Louis. 

A  new  era  in  the  Catholic 
Church  in  Missouri  began  in 
1818,  when  the  Rt.  Rev. 
William  DuBourg,  Bishop  of 

Louisiana,  arrived  in  St.  Louis  to  assume  the  duties 
of  his  office.  DuBourg  had  been  appointed  as  adminis 
trator  of  New  Orleans  in  1 8 1 2  ;  but  owing  to  a  controversy 


RT.  REV.  WILLIAM  DuBouRG, 
BISHOP  or  LOUISIANA 

The  first  Catholic  bishop  to  reside 
in  St.  Louis.  He  lived  there  from 
1818  to  1824.  From  Stevens'  Mis 
souri,  the  Center  Slate,  by  permission 
of  the  Missouri  Historical  Society. 


^•^tg^tJ- 

„..*,..     ->/^'te'  •••**• 

"'jjjjfar™ ^ 


FIRST  BRICK  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  AND  COLLEGE  IN  ST.  Louis 

Erected  shortly  after  1818  in  place  of  the  log  structure  that 
had  been  built  in  1776. 

which  arose  on  his  arrival  between  him  and  the  pastor  of 
the  Cathedral  Church   of  New  Orleans,  DuBourg  soon 


CONDITIONS   DURING   THE   TERRITORIAL   PERIOD      91 


left  New  Orleans  and  went  to  Rome,  where  he  was  con 
secrated  as  bishop  of  Upper  and  Lower  Louisiana. 

Heretofore  the  epis 
copal  residence  of  the 
bishop  of  Louisiana 
had  been  at  New  Or 
leans.  But  DuBourg 
realized  that  for  the 
time  being,  at  least,  it 
would  be  impracticable 
for  him  to  attempt  to 
reside  at  New  Orleans, 
and  so  he  made  ar 
rangements  to  move 
the  episcopal  seat  from 
that  place  to  St.  Louis. 
Moreover,  he  hoped 
that  before  long  the 
diocese  of  Louisiana 
would  be  divided  into 


two  dioceses  and  that 
he  would  be  allowed  to 
remain  in  the  upper 
one.  After  spending 


THE  OLD  CATHOLIC  CATHEDRAL  IN 
ST.  Louis 


Erected  in  1834.  This  is  the  fourth 
church  building  that  has  been  erected  on  the 
church  block  that  was  laid  out  by  Laclede  in 
the  original  village  in  1764.  From  Stevens' 

some  time   in    Furone    Missouri'  the  Center  State>  by  permission  of 
nUT        '    the  Missouri  Historical  Society. 


enlisting  men  for  service 


gathering  funds  for  the 

work  in  his  new  field  and  in 

there,  he  made  his  way  to  St.   Louis,  arriving  there  in 

January,  1818.     Although  there  had  been  some  indiffer 

ence  on  the  part  of  the  Catholics  of  St.  Louis  and  other 

parts  of  Upper  Louisiana  over  his  coming,  he  soon  won 

the  hearts  of  all  and  secured  their  loyal  support.1 

DuBourg  was  a  man  of  considerable  vision.  He  under 
took  many  things  that  proved  to  be  of  great  importance 

1  The  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  DuBourg's  arrival  in  St. 
Louis  was  celebrated  by  the  Catholics  of  that  city  by  special  services 
in  the  old  cathedral  in  St.  Louis  on  January  6,  1918. 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


4.  News 
papers 


JOSEPH  CHARLESS 


in  the  history  of  the  Catholic  church  in  Missouri.  Among 
other  things  he  began  the  erection  of  a  brick  church 
building  at  St.  Louis  to  replace  the  old  log  and  post 

structure  that  had  been  built  in 
I776.1  He  remained  in  St.  Louis 
until  1824,  when  he  removed  the 
episcopal  seat  to  New  Orleans, 
where  he  resided  for  two  more 
years,  resigning  at  the  end  of  that 
time  and  returning  to  Europe. 

It  was  during  the  territorial 
period  that  the  first  newspapers 
were  established  in  Missouri,— 
another  important  sign  of  the 
improving  conditions.  The  first 
newspaper  to  be  established,  not 
only  in  Missouri,  but  also  west 

Founder  of  the  Missouri  Ga-    of  the   Mississippi,   was  the  MlS- 
zette,  the  first  newspaper  west  of  1     i   1        T 

the  Mississippi  River,    it  has   soum  Gazette,  founded  by  Joseph 

had  a  continuous  existence  from  QharleSS  in  St.  Louis  in  l8o8. 
1808  to  the  present.  It  is  now 

called  the  St.  Louis  Republic.  This  paper  has  had  a  continued 
From  Houck's  History  of  Mis-  existence  from  that  time  to  this, 

soun.  . 

under   different   names,    and    is 

now  known  as  the  St.  Louis  Republic.11  It  is  one  of 
the  few  newspapers  in  the  United  States  that  has 
existed  for  more  than  a  century.  In  the  course  of  a 

1This  brick  church  building  was  replaced  in  1834  by  a  stone 
structure,  the  present  old  cathedral  of  St.  Louis  on  Walnut  and 
Second  streets.  This  cathedral  was  built  by  Bishop  Rosati,  the  first 
bishop  of  St.  Louis.  In  1914  a  magnificent  new  Catholic  cathedral 
was  erected  in  the  western  part  of  St.  Louis. 

2  On  July  12,  1908,  the  St.  Louis  Republic  celebrated  its  one 
hundredth  anniversary  by  issuing  a  very  elaborate  and  expensive 
edition.  Among  other  things  it  reprinted  in  facsimile  the  earliest 
copy  of  the  Gazette  that  has  been  preserved,  which  was  No.  3  of 
Volume  i,  dated  July  26,  1808.  Unfortunately  no  copy  of  No.  I 
of  Volume  i,  which  was  issued  on  July  12,  1808,  is  known  to  be  in 
existence. 


Missouri  Gazette 

VOL.1.  TUESDAY.  JULY  2G,  i sos  No.  3. 

c-r  irmic  irkinciAMA  even   linen  warned.     We   then  rican  waters.     Such  conduct  ar- 

M.  LUUli,  LUUibi  proceeded  to  Saint  Domingo,  gues  fo  hoftileadeterminationin 

PRINTED  BY  JOSEPH  CHARLESS.      where  it  was  suppofed  the  ene-  the  government  of  the  United 

n  .  ,     —      .  rriv  had  proceeded  for  the  pur-  States,  that  the  general  opinion 

Printer  tt  the  Territory.  pofe  of  landing  troops;  but  on  expreffed  by  the  officers  of  our 

•  i»  our  arrival  there  we  found  no  fquadrqnx  "that  a  war  with  A- 

•f^-ms  of  Subscription  for  tbe       fhips       After  cruizing  in   the  merica  is  inevitable,"  cannot  be 

1  ,  MonoPaffage  for  feyen  or  eight  confidered    as    founded    upon 

MISSOURI  GAZETTE.       days,  we  made  all  difpatch  for  weak  or  trivial  grounds.    We 

Three  Dollars  paid  in  advance.        the  coaft  of  America,  and  arri-  mould  have  expected  that  Mr. 

ved  off  the  Chefepeake  on  the   Rofe'smiffion  would  at  lead  have 

Advertisements  not  exceeding  a  nth  March.  We  communicat-  procured  for  our  fquadron  the 
square,  will  be  inserted  one  week  fcr  ed  with  the  Statira  frigate,  and  rights  of  hofpitality,  if  it  did  not 
one  dollar,  and  Fifty  cents  for  every  found  that  our  Ambaffador,  Mr.  effect  a  complete  re-eftablifh- 
continuance,  those  of  a  greater  length  Rofe,  was  at  Washington  for  ment  of  the  former  good  under- 
in  proportion.  the  laft  time,  to  determine  whe-  ftanding  between  the  two  coun- 

ther  it  mould  be  peace  or  war  tries;  but  we  fear  the  Frencnifi- 

Advertisements  sent  to  this  Office,  with  Englancj.  /^e  fhquld  have  ed   government  of  the   United 

without  specifying  the  time  they  arc  gOne  in,  but  the  Yankies  would  States  has  fo  far  refigned  itfelf  to 

to  be  inserted,  will  be  continued  until  not  let  us  have  a  pilot,  nor  fup-  the  bafeful  influence  of  the  ca- 

forbid,  and  charged  accordingly  ply  us  with  waterandprovifions,  binet  of  the  Thuilleries,  that  no- 

which  forced  us  to  be  content  to  thing  but  falutary  chaftifement 

-»=O=       -  live  upon, half  our  ufual  allow-  will  bring  it  to  a  due  fense  of  the 

T  nwnnw    An  'i  oa  ance;  they  would  not  give  us  a  pernicious  error  into  which  its 

TT  u    f  k-'x*   ?c*    1   i,     Tingle  pint  of  wateror  a  cabbage  unnatural  propenfitics  have  per- 

Upon  the  fubject  of  Sir  John  ft0tk/We  left  the  Eurydice,  mined  it  to  be  led.  If  America 
Duckworths  late  cruize,  we  to  bring  us  any  intelligence  that  will  have  war  with  Great  Britain, 
have  been  favored  with  the  fol-  might  occur  as  to  peace  or  war  fhe  will  have  herfelf  only  to 
lowing  extract  of  a  letter  from  wj£j,  America,  and  quitted  the  blame  for  the  cqnfequences.  It 
an  officer  belonging  to  the  f  quad-  innofpitable  fhores  of  America  is  our  fincere  wim  to  remain  at 
ron,  dated  for  the  Weftern  Iflands,  where  peace  with  her,  and  our  mimf- 

"Cawfand  Bay,  April  is.         we  procured  all  we  wanted,  af-  ters,  it  is  well  known,  have  adop 
ter  a  long  and   very    anxious  ted   every  expedient  ihort  or 

"Having  run  down  the  Bay  cruife.  The  Governor  of  Flores  comprifing  the  honor,  the  digni- 
of  Bifcay,  and  called  off  Capes  [a  Portuguefe,]  came  off  to  us,  tyofthe  nation  to  avoid  the  ex- 
Ortugal  and  Finifterre,and  Lif-  but  not  being  able  to  give  us  tremity  of  warfare;  i>ut  we  are 
bon,  we  arrived  off  Madeira,  and  any  information,  the  Admiral  certainly  not  orepared  to  lay  .the! 
found  Sir  Samuel  Hood,  laying  thought  it  moft  expedient  to  honor  and  the  effenttal  tnterefts 
in  Funfchall  roads,  where  we  re-  proceed  for  England,  where  we  of  the  empire  at  the  feet  of  any 
mained  for  two  days.  On  the  arrived  this  morning,  after  hav-  junto  upon  earth.  The  bkifter- 


chafed  two  days  before  to  the  journey  of  upwards  of  thirteen  fupport  of  a  certain  party  in  this 
N.  W.  of  Madeira,  and  it  then  thoufand  miks."  country;  some  of  them,  as  we 
became  obvious  that  the  deftina-  We  learn  by  other  letters,  lately  took  occafion  to  remark, 
tion  of  the  French  fquadron  was  that  our  fquadron  remained  fe-  may  derive  hopes  from  t;he  con- 
the  Weft  Indies,  for  which  we  veral  days  off  the  Chefepeake,  fifcation  of  property  and  the 
proceeded  with  all  expedition  &  and  that  the  treatment  it  non-payment  of  debts;  they 
made  the  iflands  of  St.  Lucia  and  experienced  was  fuch  as  by  no  may  conceal  from  themfelves 
Martinique  in  twenty  one  days,  means  to  encourage  the  hopes  their  comparative  impotence,  by 
Off  the  eaft  end  of  Martinique  of  late  entertained^  by  many,  of  throwing  their  weignt  into  the 
we  faw  fix  fail  of  the  line ;  we  an  amicably  termination  of  our  aggregate  of  the  enemies  ef  G. 
'cleared  for  action,  and  formed  prefentnegotiationwiththeUni-  Britain;  but  a  few  fhort  months 
the  line  of  battle,  but,  on  ex-  ted  States.  It  is  certain,  that  of  war  would  convince  thefe  no- 
changing  fignals  we  found  in-  no  article  whatever  of  fupply  liticionsofthefollyof  meafunng 
ftead  01  enemies  ;  it  was  Sir  could  be  obtained  by  our  ad-  their  puny  ftrength  with  the  co- 
Alexander  Cochrane,  with  his  miral  from  the  inhoipitable  and  loffal  power  of  the  Britifh  em- 
fquadron,  who  was  waiting  to  hoftile  Americans/ and  it  follows  pire.  Wz  do  not  ourfelves  wifh 
give  that  enemy  a  reception  ofcourfe,  that  the  reparation  of-  tobeunderftood.asftating  po- 
which  we  were  in  chafe  of,  con-  fered  byour government  for  the  fitively  that  a  war  with  the  Uni- 
ceivmgthat  he  would  take refuge  ffair  ot  the  Chefepeake  frigate  ted  States  is  become  inevitable; 
rfeet  wKfficK^coDe  wkh  was  made  in  vain;  although  that  thedoor  foramicableadiuftment 
themTnthofc  eas  weDaffedall  circumftance  alone,  fince  fo  am-  dill  remains  open,  anrf  while  .t 
'h^Sidward  inandSPand  an  ply  atoned  for,  was  affigned  by  continues  fo.hopes of adjuftment 
3BftB?£lS^dbraS  the  Prefident's  proclamation  as  may  not  irrationally  be  indulged 
in  Baffaterre  Roads,  St.  Kitts,  the  motive  for  prohibiting  all  in-  But  in  whatever  manner  tne  ne 
where  -we  remained  only  18  tercourfe  between  the  inhabi-  eotiation  may  terminate,  we 
hours,  juft  long  enough  to  take  tants  and  fuch  Britifh  (hips  of  lhall  have  the  confolation  to  re 
in  water,  but  no  provifions,  nor  war  as  might  arrive  in  the  Ame-  ( See  itb  rage.) 

FACSIMILE  IN  REDUCED  FORM  OF  THE  FRONT  PAGE  OF  THE 
"  MISSOURI  GAZETTE  "  FOR  JULY  26,  1808,  VOL.  I,  No.  3. 

No  copies  of  the  two  previous  issues  have  been  preserved. 
93 


94  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

few  years  other  papers  were  started  in  St.  Louis,  the  most 
important  of  which  was  the  Enquirer,  which  became  a 
bitter  rival  of  the  Gazette.  Probably  the  most  important 
of  the  early  newspapers  outside  of  St.  Louis  was  the 
Missouri  Intelligencer,  founded  in  Franklin  in  1817.  It 
too  has  had  a  continued  existence  under  different  names 
and  in  different  places,  and  now  survives  as  the  Herald- 
Statesman  at  Columbia.  By  1820  newspapers  were  also 
established  at  Jackson,  Cape  Girardeau,  and  Ste.  Gene- 
vie  ve. 

Most  of  the  news  contained  in  these  newspapers  was 
from  the  Eastern  states  and  foreign  countries  and  not 
from  the  locality  in  which  they  were  published ;  and 
most  of  the  news,  whether  from  the  outside  or  from  the 
State,  was  political  in  character.  Since  communication 
was  slow  in  those  days,  the  news  from  the  Eastern  states 
was  from  a  week  to  a  month  old,  and  that  from  foreign 
lands  was,  of  course,  much  older.  It  is  very  unfortunate 
for  historical  purposes  that  so  little  that  pertained  to  the 
life  of  the  State  aside  from  politics  found  its  way  into  the 
current  newspapers  of  early  days. 

5.  Postal  With  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  came  a  demand  on  the 

part  of  the  people  living  in  the  territory  for  better  postal 
facilities.  During  the  Spanish  period  "no  one  dreamed 
of  demanding  the  establishment  of  post  routes  and  post 
offices"  ;  but  after  the  purchase  post  offices  were  at  once 
established  in  St.  Charles,  St.  Louis,  Ste.  Gene  vie  ve, 
Cape  Girardeau,  and  New  Madrid.  Soon  the  demand 
came  for  more  post  offices  and  more  mail  routes,  and  for 
greater  regularity  in  the  delivery  of  the  mail.  The  news 
papers  frequently  had  to  go  to  press  without  their  usual 
quota  of  eastern  and  foreign  news  because  the  mail  had 
not  arrived,  and  at  such  times,  of  course,  the  complaints 
were  loud  and  long  about  the  delays  of  the  mails.  People 
wanted  to  find  out  what  was  going  on,  and  they  let  it  be 
known  when  the  service  was  not  as  prompt  as  they 
thought  it  ought  to  be.  In  1819  there  were  fifteen  dif- 


CONDITIONS   DURING  THE   TERRITORIAL   PERIOD      95 

ferent  mail  routes  in  Missouri  Territory,  on  some  of  which 
there  were  deliveries  once  a  week  and  on  others  only  once 
in  two  weeks. 

Better  mail  service  was  made  possible  only  through   6.  Transpor- 
improvements  in  the  transportation  facilities,  and  it  was 
during  this  period  that  new  roads  were  laid  out  and  old 
ones  improved,  although  many  of  the  roads  were,  as  yet, 
nothing  more  than  mere  bridle  paths.     Better  and  more 
numerous   ferries   facilitated   the   passage   over   streams,    (a)  Roads 
But  the  most  important  improvement  along  the  line  of  andFemes 
transportation  that  took  place  during  this  period  was  the 
steamboat.     On   August    2,    1817,    a   steamboat   named 
"Zebulon  M.   Pike"  landed  at  St.   Louis,  to  the  great   (b)  steam- 
amazement  of  the  inhabitants,  who  crowded  the  banks  boats 
to    see    the    novel    sight.1     Nothing    like    it    had    ever 
been  seen  there  before.     Another  steamboat,  called  the 
"  Constitution,"    came   in   October,  but   it  was   not   till 
1819    that   anyone   would  venture  to  ascend  the    Mis 
souri    in    such    a    vessel.     However,  in    that    year    the 
"Independence"  made  a  trip  from  St.  Louis  to  Franklin 
and  Chariton  and  returned  in  twenty-one  days,  and  thus 
established  the  fact  that  steamboat  navigation  was  not  an 
impossibility  on  the  Missouri.2 

The  importance  and  significance  of  this  new  mode  of 
transportation  were  fully  appreciated  by  the  people  of 
Missouri  at  that  time.  Travel  by  water  had  heretofore 
been  very  slow  and  far  from  comfortable,  especially  in 
going  up  the  streams.  It  required  weeks  and  sometimes 
months  to  make  the  trip  from  New  Orleans  to  St.  Louis. 
Commercially  the  streams  were  of  chief  value  in  aiding 

1  In  1 8 1 1  the  first  steamboat  in  the  west  was  launched  at  Pitts 
burgh  and  made  its  way  down  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  to  New 
Orleans  and  back  again. 

2  The  arrival  of  the  "  Independence "  at  Franklin  was  duly  cele 
brated  by  the  citizens  of  that  place.     They  gave  the  passengers  and 
officers  of  the  boat  a  public  dinner  and  afterwards  held  a  public 
meeting  at  which  numerous  toasts  were  offered  and  speeches  made. 


96 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


7.  Industrial 
Improve 
ments 


Taverns 


the  people  in  getting  their  products  to  the  markets  that 
were  lower  down  the  Mississippi.  Both  flatboats  and 
keel  boats  were  used  in  going  down  a  stream,  but  generally 
the  owner  of  the  flatboats  sold  them  for  lumber  at  New 
Orleans  instead  of  trying  to  pull  them  back  to  St.  Louis. 
It  was  possible  to  come  up  the  stream  in  keel  boats,  but 
the  difficulties  were  very  great  and  the  freight  rates  high. 
For  that  reason  less  was  brought  from  the  markets  than 
was  taken  there. 

But  all  this  was  changed  by  the  introduction  of  the 
steamboat,  and  though  it  took  time  to  perfect  the  service, 
it  was  realized  that  travel  and  transportation  of  commod 
ities  would  be  easier,  quicker,  and  cheaper  than  ever  be 
fore.  In  the  further  economic  and  industrial  develop 
ments  of  Missouri,  the  steamboat  on  the  Missouri  River 
played  a  very  important  part  for  a  considerable  period.1 

The  business  and  industrial  world  showed  traces  of  the 
new  spirit  that  was  taking  possession  of  the  country. 
The  Americans  who  were  coming  in  were  better  farmers 
and  stock-raisers  than  their  French  neighbors  had  been. 
They  also  brought  better  machinery  and  better  methods 
for  mining  lead ;  and  very  shortly  they  increased  the 
output  of  the  old  mines  and  also  opened  up  new  ones.  The 
local  fur  trade  was  declining  on  account  of  the  rapid 
disappearance  of  the  fur-bearing  animals  and  the  removal 
of  the  Indians,  but  the  region  of  the  Upper  Missouri, 
which  was  made  known  by  the  Lewis  and  Clark  expedi 
tions  of  1805-08,  offered  a  tempting  field  for  men  of 
adventure  and  enterprise.  The  most  active  of  these  fur 
traders  of  Missouri  during  this  period  was  Manuel  Lisa, 
who  in  thirteen  years  made  at  least  twelve  different  trips  to 
the  headwaters  of  the  Missouri. 

The  Missourians  at  this  time  were  noted  for  their 
hospitality  to  strangers.  Travelers  going  through  the 

1  Flatboats  were  not  at  once  discarded  on  the  appearance  of  the 
steamboat ;  they  were  still  used  for  some  time  to  carry  grain  and 
other  bulky  commodities  down  the  streams. 


CONDITIONS   DURING  THE  TERRITORIAL  PERIOD      97 

country  were  almost  universally  welcomed  at  all  hours 
during  the  day  and  night.  But  after  1803  they  were  no 
longer  compelled  to  ask  for  entertainment  in  private 


OLD  MARKET  HOUSE  AT  ST.  Louis 

homes  as  they  had  been  during  the  Spanish  period.  Tav 
erns  and  inns  began  to  be  established  very  shortly  after 
the  purchase  of  Louisiana,  and  soon  they  might  be  found 
in  practically  every  town.  Tavern-keepers  were  retailers 
of  liquor  as  well  as  hosts  to  traveling  guests,  and  fre 
quently  their  taverns  were  resorts  for  gamblers  and  other 
persons  of  disrepute. 

On  the  whole,  while  much  that  existed  in  the  period 
which  we  have  been  surveying  was  rude  and  rough,  there 
were  indications  on  every  hand  that  gave  promise  of  the 
development  of  a  strong  and  vigorous  civilization. 

REFERENCES 

General  — Carr,  Missouri,  pp.  82—98,  108-138.  Houck,  History  of 
Missouri,  vol.  iii.  pp.  55-97. 

Churches  —  Kirkpatrick,  Timothy  Flint,  chs.  v-viii.  The  story 
of  a  pioneer  preacher  in  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  valleys,  and 
also  in  New  England  and  the  South.  The  chapters  referred  to  deal 
with  conditions  in  and  around  St.  Louis,  St.  Charles,  and  New  Madrid 
from  1816  to  1822,  and  are  based  chiefly  upon  Flint's  own  work 
entitled  Recollections.  Missouri  Baptist  Centennial,  1906.  Contains 
the  addresses  delivered  at  the  celebration  of  the  one  hundredth 
anniversary  of  the  beginning  of  the  Baptist  work  in  Missouri,  held 
at  Jackson,  Missouri,  in  1906.  One  of  the  addresses  deals  with  the 
history  of  "Old  Bethel  Church,"  the  first  Baptist  church  in  Missouri. 
Jenkins,  Old  Bethel  Church.  A  pamphlet  giving  an  account  of  the 
Baptists  in  Missouri  in  early  days.  Maple  and  Rider<  Missouri 


g8  HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 

Baptist  Biography.  A  book  containing  brief  biographical  sketches 
of  nearly  sixty  Baptists  of  prominence  in  Missouri.  The  sketches 
of  John  Clark  and  John  Mason  Peck  are  of  special  value  on  the 
early  history  of  the  Baptists  in  Missouri.  Spencer,  "Rev.  Jesse 
Walker,  the  Apostle  of  the  Wilderness,"  in  the  Missouri  Historical 
Review  for  July,  1908,  pp.  261-278.  An  account  of  the  labors  of  a 
pioneer  Methodist  preacher  in  Missouri  from  1807  to  1833.  Wood 
ward,  Annals  of  Methodism  in  Missouri.  Contains  sketches  of 
Methodist  preachers  and  laymen  in  Missouri  from  1806  to  1884. 
Ridgeway,  "Howard  County  has  two  Centennial  Celebrations,"  in 
Missouri  Historical  Review  for  October,  1916.  An  account  of  the 
centennial  celebrations  of  the  creation  of  Howard  County,  and  of  the 
creation  of  the  Missouri  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Church,  which 
were  held  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1916  at  Fayette.  Souvay, 
Memorial  Sketch  of  Bishop  DuBourg  and  What  His  Coming  Meant 
to  St.  Louis.  A  pamphlet  issued  by  the  Catholic  Historical  Society 
in  1918  in  commemoration  of  the  centenary  of  the  coming  of  Bishop 
DuBourg  to  St.  Louis. 

Newspapers — Stephens,  "Nathaniel  Patten,  Pioneer  Editor," 
in  the  Missouri  Historical  Review,  April,  1915,  pp.  135-154.  An 
account  of  the  founder  of  the  Missouri  Intelligencer  and  the  Boonslick 
Advertiser  in  1819,  the  first  newspaper  west  of  St.  Louis. 


CHAPTER  VI 
THE   STRUGGLE   OF   MISSOURI  FOR   STATEHOOD 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  Missouri  Compromise.] 

i.    CHANGES    IN    THE    TERRITORIAL    GOVERNMENT    OF 
MISSOURI,  1803-20 

Now  that   we  have  dealt  with  the  colonial  and  the   Significance 

territorial  periods  in  the  history  of  Missouri,  we  turn   ?*the 

Missouri 

to  its  struggle  for  admission  into  the  Union.  It  is  well  Question 
known  that  the  question  as  to  whether  Missouri  should 
be  allowed  to  come  into  the  Union  or  not  was  the 
foremost  issue  of  the  day  during  the  years  from  1819 
to  1821.  That  the  petition  of  Missouri  for  admission 
should  have  proved  so  momentous  an  issue  in  our  na 
tional  history  was  due  to  the  fact  that  it  was  wrapped 
up  in  the  very  grave  question  concerning  the  further 
territorial  extension  of  slavery.  Everywhere,  in  and  • 
out  of  Congress,  men  were  profoundly  stirred  by  the 
question  that  had  been  raised,  and  so  violent  did  the 
agitation  over  the  matter  become  that  many  feared  at 
the  time  for  the  safety  of  the  Union.  Thanks,  however, 
to  the  influence  of  certain  leaders  in  Congress,  the  threat 
ened  crisis  was  averted,  and  for  thirty  years  more  the 
question  of  the  territorial  extension  of  slavery  lay  dormant. 
It  is  not  our  purpose,  however,  to  go  into  the  details  of 
this  controversy  as  it  was  waged  in  Congress  or  through 
out  the  country  at  large.  That  has  been  done  in  most 
excellent  fashion  by  many  writers  whose  books  are  readily 
available.  It  is  our  intention,  however,  to  deal  with  the 
matter  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  Missourians  of  that 

99 


100 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Act  of 

Congress, 

1803 


Act  of  1804 


i.  Creation 
of  the 
District  of 
Louisiana 


time,  and  to  consider  in  some  detail  the  founding  of  the 
state  government  of  Missouri.  Fortunately  these  phases 
of  the  subject  have  recently  been  developed  in  a  most 
scholarly  manner  by  Shoemaker  in  his  great  book  en 
titled  Missouri's  Struggle  for  Statehood,  and  what  is 
offered  in  this  chapter  is  largely  drawn  from  that  book. 

But  before  we  set  forth  the  history  of  Missouri's 
effort  to  gain  admission  into  the  Union,  a  few  words 
should  be  said  upon  the  changes  that  occurred  in  the 
territorial  government  of  Missouri  from  1803  to  1820. 

We  saw  in  a  former  chapter  that  very  shortly  after  the 
ratification  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Treaty  Congress 
passed  an  act  providing  temporarily  for  the  government 
of  the  newly  acquired  territory.1  By  this  act  all  civil 
and  military  authority  in  the  territory  was  placed  under 
the  direction  of  the  President,  who  thereupon  appointed 
Amos  Stoddard  commandant  of  Upper  Louisiana. 

This  arrangement  was  superseded  by  another  Act  of 
Congress  in  i8o4,2  which  provided  that  Louisiana  should 
be  divided  into  two  distinct  territories,  all  south  of  the 
33d  parallel  being  designated  as  the  Territory  of  Orleans 
and  all  north  of  that  line  as  the  District  of  Louisiana. 
The  Territory  of  Orleans  was  given  its  own  territorial 
government,  but  the  District  of  Louisiana  was  for  pur 
poses  of  administration  put  under  the  government  of 
the  Territory  of  Indiana,  which  at  that  time  embraced 
all  of  the  Northwest  Territory  except  the  newly  created 
State  of  Ohio.  Accordingly  all  judicial,  legislative,  and 
executive  authority  over  the  District  of  Louisiana  was 
vested  in  the  governor  and  the  three  judges  of  the 
Indiana  Territory.3 

1  The  Treaty  providing  for  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  was  rati 
fied  on  October  21,  1803.     The  Act  of  Congress  providing  for  the 
temporary  government  of  Louisiana  was  approved  ten  days  later. 

2  Passed  on  March  26,  to  go  into  effect  on  October  i,  1804. 

3  The  governor  of   Indiana  at  that  time  was  General  William 
Henry  Harrison,  who  afterward,  became  President. 


STRUGGLE  OF   MISSOURI   FOR   STATEHOOD        IOI 

This  Act  of  Congress  which  thus  subordinated  {he  2.  Protest 
District  of  Louisiana  to  the  government  of  the  Territory  ^gcatinst  this 
of  Indiana  was  very  unpopular  in  the  District,  and  two 
days  before  it  was  to  go  into  effect  a  petition  was  framed 
by  representatives  elected  by  the  people  of  the  five  ad 
ministrative  divisions  of  the  District  (St.  Charles,  St. 
Louis,  Ste.  Genevieve,  Cape  Girardeau,  and  New  Madrid) 
protesting  against  the  Act  and  asking  for  a  different 
sort  of  territorial  government.  In  this  petition  objec 
tions  were  made,  first,  to  the  annexation  of  the  District 
of  Louisiana  to  the  Indiana  Territory,  which  thereby 
put  the  administration  of  government  into  the  hands 
of  men  who  were  non-residents  of  the  District  and  who 
lived  at  a  seat  of  government  165  miles  distant,  and  to 
the  use  of  the  inferior  word  " district"  instead  of  " terri 
tory";  second,  to  the  lack  of  any  provision  for  self 
government ;  third,  to  the  failure  to  guarantee  protec 
tion  for  the  institution  of  slavery  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River ;  fourth,  to  the  proposed  removal  of  the  Indians 
east  of  the  Mississippi  to  the  District  of  Louisiana ; 
fifth,  to  the  declaration  that  all  Spanish  land  grants  that 
had  been  made  since  Spain  retroceded  Louisiana  to 
France  in  1800  were  null  and  void.  The  petition  con 
cluded  by  asking  that  the  District  be  given  a  •  distinct 
territorial  government  with  officers  who  should  be  ap 
pointed  by  the  President  and  who  should  reside  in  the 
District  and  hold  property  therein ;  that  a  legislative 
council  be  created  consisting  of  the  governor  and  two 
members  elected  by  the  people  from  each  county  in  the 
District ;  that  the  rights  of  slave  owners  be  protected ; 
that  the  District  should  have  a  delegate  to  Congress ; 
and  that  all  private  engagements  made  according  to 
Spanish  law  and  all  judgments  rendered  according  to 
that  law  during  the  Spanish  period  should  be  observed. 

Congress  responded  to  this  petition  by  passing  another  Act  of  1805 
Act  on  March  3,  1805,  providing  for  a  separate  territorial 
organization  of  the  first  or  lowest  rank  for  Upper  Louisi- 


102 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


i.  Creation 
of  the 

Territory  of 
Louisiana 


2.  Territorial 
Institutions 


Act  of  1812 


i.  Creation 
of  the 

Territory  of 
Missouri 


2.  Changes 
in  the 
Territorial 
Institutions 


aiia,  and  changing  the  name  from  District  of  Louisiana 
to  that  of  Territory  of  Louisiana.  All  executive  authority 
was  vested  in  a  governor  appointed  by  the  President 
for  a  term  of  three  years,  and  all  legislative  power  was 
given  to  the  governor  and  three  judges  who  were  ap 
pointed  by  the  President  for  a  term  of  four  years.  The 
judicial  authority  was  conferred  upon  the  three  terri 
torial  judges  and  whatever  inferior  courts  the  territorial 
legislature  might  establish.  Associated  with  the  governor 
was  a  secretary  appointed  by  the  President  for  four 
years,  whose  ordinary  duties  were  clerical,  but  who 
became  governor  when  that  office  was  vacant.  Not 
withstanding  the  fact  that  there  was  no  provision  for  a 
delegate  to  Congress  or  for  elected  officers  of  any  sort  in 
the  territory,  as  had  been  asked  for  by  the  petition,  the 
arrangement  just  outlined  proved  very  satisfactory  to 
the  people  of  the  territory. 

No  change  was  made  in  this  arrangement  for  the 
Territory  of  Louisiana  until  1812.  By  that  time  the 
population  of  the  territory  had  become  double  what  it 
was  at  the  time  of  the  purchase  of  Louisiana,  and  the 
citizens  of  the  territory  began  to  feel  they  were  entitled 
to  a  higher  form  of  territorial  government.  Between 
1 8 10  and  1812  they  submitted  at  least  fifteen  petitions 
to  Congress  on  the  matter.1 

It  so  happened  that  during  April,  1812,  the  Territory 
of  Orleans  was  admitted  into  the  Union  as  the  State  of 
Louisiana,  and  that  seemed  to  furnish  Congress  an  oc 
casion  for  dealing  at  once  with  the  government  of  the 
Territory  of  Louisiana.  An  Act  was  therefore  passed 
on  June  4,  1812,  which  changed  the  name  of  the  territory 
from  that  of  Louisiana  to  Missouri,  and  raised  it  to  the 
second  rank  of  territories.  The  executive  authority  was 
still  vested  in  a  governor  appointed  by  the  President 
for  a  term  of  three  years  and  with  powers  much  as  before. 

1  One  of  these  asked,  however,  that  no  change  be  made  in  the 
territorial  government. 


STRUGGLE   OF   MISSOURI   FOR   STATEHOOD         103 

No  change  was  made  with  regard  to  the  secretary.  But 
a  very  important  change  was  made  in  the  legislature. 
Instead  of  a  legislative  council  composed  of  the  gov 
ernor  and  the  judges,  there  was  now  a  legislature  of 
two  houses,  the  legislative  council  and  the  house  of 
representatives.  The  legislative  council  was  to  be 
composed  of  nine  members  appointed  for  five  years  by 
the  President  from  a  list  of  eighteen  drawn  up  by  the 
territorial  house  of  representatives.  The  latter  body 
was  to  be  made  up  of  members  elected  for  two  years  by 
the  people,  one  for  every  500  free  white  male  inhabitants 
until  the  number  of  representatives  should  reach  twenty- 
five.  All  free  male  white  citizens  who  had  resided  twelve 
months  in  the  territory  and  who  had  paid  a  territorial 
or  a  county  tax  were  entitled  to  vote  for  representatives. 
'the  legislature  was  to  meet  annually  and  was  given 
extensive  powers.  The  judiciary  included  a  superior 
court,  composed  of  three  judges  appointed  as  before, 
and  inferior  courts  and  justices  of  the  peace.  The  citizens 
of  the  territory  were  given  the  right  to  send  a  delegate  to 
Congress,  who  of  course  would  have  no  right  to  vote  in 
that  body. 

From  the  foregoing,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  most  im 
portant  changes  that  had  been  made  in  the  government 
of  the  territory  consisted  in  making  one  branch  of  the 
legislature  elective  and  in  authorizing  a  Congressional 
delegate. 

The  last  governmental  change  prior  to  the  First  Missouri  Act  of  1816 
Compromise  was  in  April,  1816,  when  the  Territory  of 
Missouri  was  raised  to  the  third  and  highest  rank  of 
territories.  The  legislative  council  was  now  made 
elective,  with  one  member  from  each  county,  and  for  a 
term  of  two  years  instead  of  five.  The  legislature  was 
to  hold  biennial  instead  of  annual  sessions.  The  judges 
of  the  superior  court  were  to  hold  both  superior  and 
circuit  courts,  and  in  civil  cases  were  to  have  chancery 
powrers  as  well  as  common  law  jurisdiction. 


1O4 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Boundary 
Changes 


Petitions  for 
Statehood 


i.  Popular 
Petitions 
of  1817 


Meanwhile,  no  change  had  been  made  in  the  territorial 
boundaries  of  Upper  Louisiana.  Up  to  1819  this  terri 
tory,  by  whatever  name  it  was  called,  whether  the  District 
of  Louisiana,  the  Territory  of  Louisiana,  or  the  Territory 
of  Missouri,  included  all  of  the  original  Louisiana  Purchase 
north  of  the  33d  parallel.  In  1819,  however,  that  part 
of  the  Missouri  Territory  which  lay  between  the  parallels 
of  33°  and  36°3o'  was  set  apart  as  the  Territory  of  Ar 
kansas,  thereby  reducing  the  former  by  just  that  much.1 

2.    THE  FIRST  MISSOURI  COMPROMISE 

In  less  than  two  years  after  Congress  had  raised  the 
Territory  of  Missouri  to  the  third  and  highest  rank  of 
territories,  definite  agitation  was  started  in  favor  of  her 
admission  into  the  Union  as  a  state.  Some  time  during 
the  latter  part  of  1817  a  number  of  petitions  addressed 
to  Congress  praying  for  this  boon  were  circulated  among 
the  citizens  of  Missouri  and  were  signed  by  them.  These 
petitions  were  submitted  to  Congress  during  the  early 
months  of  1818,  the  first  one  being  introduced  on  Jan- 
uary  8,  1818,  the  third  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  New 
Orleans.2  Early  in  April  a  bill  authorizing  the  people  of 
Missouri  to  form  a  constitution  and  a  state  government 
was  introduced,  but  it  got  no  farther  than  the  Committee 
of  the  Whole,  where  it  lodged  for  the  rest  of  the  session. 

1  For  an  account  of  the  changes  in  county  organization  that  had 
been  going  on  between  1805  and  1820  and  for  the  maps  that  illus 
trate  those  changes,  see  Chapter  V. 

2  It  has  been  claimed  by  some  that  this  date  was   deliberately 
selected  by  those  in  charge  of  the  matter  as  being  the  appropriate 
time   for  the   submission   of  the  first  petition.     Missourians,  it  is 
said,  claimed  that  they  were  entitled  to  some  special  credit  for  the 
victory  at  New  Orleans.     The  bullets  and  buckshot  that  Jackson 
used  that   day  had  been  made  at  Maclot's  shot  tower  at  Hercu- 
laneum,  and  part  of  the  cotton  bales  which  protected  the  Ameri 
cans  as  they  swept  the  ranks  of  the  British  had  been  furnished 
by  another  Missourian,  John  Mullanphy,  who  was  in  New  Orleans 
at  the  time,  buying  up  cotton  in  anticipation  of  the  rise  in  prices 
that  would  come  at  the  close  of  the  war. 


STRUGGLE  OF   MISSOURI   FOR   STATEHOOD        105 

In  November,  1818,  the  territorial  legislature  of  2.  Legisla- 
Missouri  drafted  a  memorial  petitioning  Congress  for 
the  admission  of  Missouri  as  a  state.  This  is  the  only  1818 
petition  for  statehood  that  ever  emanated  from  the 
legislature,  and  so  far  as  we  know  no  others  were  sub 
mitted  from  private  citizens  during  the  year  1818.  About 
a  month  after  the  presentation  of  this  legislative  memorial 
to  Congress,  a  bill  was  introduced  granting  their  request, 
but  it  failed  of  passage  because  the  Senate  would  not 
concur  in  accepting  the  famous  Tallmadge  amendment 
passed  by  the  House.  This  amendment  provided  that 
no  more  slaves  should  be  brought  into  Missouri  and 
that  all  slave  children  therein  were  to  be  free  when  they 
should  become  twenty-five  years  of  age. 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1819,  following  the  failure  3.  Popular 
of  the  Missouri  bill  in  Congress,  several  private  petitions  p|llt 
and  resolutions  were  drawn  up  by  the  citizens  of  Missouri 
insisting  that  it  should  be  admitted  into  the  Union. 

On  examining  these  different  petitions  to  Congress  by  4.  Differ- 
Missourians,  it  will  be  found  that  all  of  them  agree  on  enc?s :m  the 

'  .  .    Petitions 

the  evils  and  inconveniences  of  the  territorial  system  of  Regarding 
government  and  on  the  justice  of  granting  to  the  people  Boundanes 
of  Missouri  the  right  to  form  a  state  government.  But 
there  are  certain  interesting  differences  between  the  vari 
ous  petitions  regarding  the  boundaries  of  the  proposed 
State.  The  ones  that  were  drawn  up  in  1817  asked 
that  the  boundaries  should  be  the  Mississippi  on  the  east, 
the  36th  parallel  on  the  south,  the  Osage  boundary  line 
on  the  west,1  and  the  4oth  parallel  on  the  north.  If 
these  boundaries  had  been  granted,  the  State  would 
have  been  minus  the  little  panhandle  district  which  it 
now  has  at  the  southeastern  corner,  and  also  a  strip  of 
territory  24  miles  wide  along  the  entire  western  border. 
The  legislative  memorial  of  1818  asked  for  boundaries 
which,  if  they  had  been  granted,  would  have  given  the 

1  The  Osage  boundary  line  ran  through  Ft.  Osage  on  the  Missouri 
River  twenty-four  miles  up  from  the  mouth  of  the  Kansas  River. 


io6 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


State  a  much  greater  extent  than  it  was  actually  given. 
They  would  have  included :  all  the  territory  within  the 
present  State  except  Atchison  County  and  a  part  of 
Holt  County  in  the  northwestern  corner;  about  5000 
square  miles  out  of  the  northeastern  corner  of  the  present 


BOUNDARIES  OF  MISSOURI  AS  SUGGESTED  IN  THE  PETITION  TO 
CONGRESS  FOR  STATEHOOD  IN  1817 

From  Houck's  History  of  Missouri. 

state  of  Arkansas ;  a  strip  of  territory  about  60  miles 
wide  and  200  miles  long,  on  the  eastern  border  of  what 
is  now  Kansas ;  and  a  strip  of  territory  on  the  southern 
border  of  the  present  state  of  Iowa  amounting  to  three 
tiers  of  counties. 


STRUGGLE  OF  MISSOURI   FOR  STATEHOOD        107 

With  one  exception  the  petitions  and  resolutions  of 
1819  favored  the  boundaries  as  petitioned  for  in  the 
legislative  memorial  of  1818.  That  one  exception  asked 


Three  Timers  of  IowaCourit/es 


BOUNDARIES  OF  MISSOURI  AS  SUGGESTED  IN  THE  LEGISLATIVE 
MEMORIAL  TO  CONGRESS  FOR  STATEHOOD  IN  1818 

From  Houck's  History  of  Missouri. 

for  boundaries  as  follows :  the  Missouri  River  from  its 
mouth  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kansas  River,  thence  west  to 
the  western  boundary  of  the  United  States  ;  thence  south 
along  the  western  boundary  to  the  36th  parallel ;  thence 


io8 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


First  Mis 
souri  Com 
promise 


i.  The 

Thomas 

Amendment 


2.  Provisions 
Regarding  a 
Constitu 
tional 
Convention 


east  to  the  White  River  and  down  that  river  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Big  Black  River ;  thence  east  to  the  Mississippi ; 
thence  up  the  latter  river  to  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri. 
Boundaries  such  as  these  would  have  made  Missouri  a 
state  with  an  extent  from  east  to  west  far  greater  than 
from  north  to  south,  and  would  have  excluded  all  territory 
north  of  the  Missouri  River.  It  should  be  stated  that 
this  Missouri  River  boundary  petition  emanated  from 
what  is  now  southeast  Missouri  and  northwest  Arkansas, 
and  it  is  said  that  it  had  been  prompted  by  jealousy  of 
the  rapidly  developing  Boone's  Lick  region.  It  was 
signed  by  only  five  or  six  hundred  people,  and  was  most 
bitterly  opposed  in  all  other  parts  of  the  territory. 

The  third  Missouri  bill  was  introduced  very  shortly 
after  Congress  convened  in  December,  1819.  At  this 
session  Maine  sought  for  admission  into  the  Union  and  the 
Senate  joined  the  Maine  bill  as  passed  by  the  House  with 
the  Missouri  bill  which  it  was  considering.  To  the  Mis 
souri  bill  the  Senate  had  also  added  the  important 
Thomas  amendment  which  provided  that  slavery  should 
forever  be  prohibited  in  all  the  territory  ceded  by  France 
to  the  United  States  north  of  36°  30',  except  Missouri. 
The  House  meanwhile  had  been  trying  to  pass  the  Mis 
souri  bill  with  restrictions  upon  slavery  in  the  proposed 
new  state,  and  on  receiving  from  the  Senate  the  Maine- 
Missouri  bill  with  the  Thomas  amendment,  rejected  it 
at  once.  The  matter  was  finally  sent  to  a  conference 
committee,  and  as  a  result  both  houses  agreed  to  a  separa 
tion  of  the  Maine  and  the  Missouri  bills,  and  to  the 
passage  of  the  Missouri  bill  with  the  Thomas  amendment. 
This  bill  was  approved  on  March  6,  1820. 

According  to  the  provisions  of  this  Enabling  Act,  -the 
inhabitants  of  the  Missouri  Territory  were  authorized 
to  form  a  constitution  and  a  state  government.  A  con 
stitutional  convention  was  to  be  elected  by  all  the  free 
white  male  citizens  over  21  years  old,  who  had  resided 
in  the  territory  three  months,  and  was  commissioned  to 


STRUGGLE  OF  MISSOURI  FOR  STATEHOOD        109 

draft  a  constitution  for  the  new  State.  A  copy  of  this 
constitution  when  framed  was  to  be  sent  to  Congress, 
and  on  the  completion  of  the  state  government  Missouri 
was  to  be  admitted  into  the  Union  on  an  equal  footing 
with  the  other  states. 


BOUNDARIES  OF  MISSOURI  AS  ADOPTED  BY  CONGRESS  IN  1820 
From  Houck's  History  of  Missouri. 

The  boundaries  of  the  State  as  described  in  the  En-   3.  Bounda- 
abling  Act  were  as  follows :    from  the  Mississippi  River  nes 
where  the  36th  parallel  crosses  it,  thence  west  along  that 
parallel  to  the  St.   Francois  River,  thence  north  along 
that  river  to  the  parallel  of  36°3o/,  and  thence  along  that 
parallel  west  to  a  line  running  due  north  and  south  through 


no 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


the  mouth  of  the  Kansas  River ;  thence  due  north  along 
that  line  to  the  parallel  intersecting  the  rapids  of  the 
Des  Moines  River ;  thence  along  that  parallel  to  the 
Des  Moines  River  and  down  that  river  to  the  Mississippi 


BOUNDARIES  OF  MISSOURI  AFTER  THE  ADDITION  OF  THE 
PLATTE  PURCHASE  IN  1837 

The  six  counties  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  State  constitute  what  is 
known  as  the  Platte  Purchase.     From  Houck's  History  of  Missouri. 

River ;    and  thence  down  the  Mississippi  to  the  place  of 
beginning. 

These  boundaries  were  more  nearly  like  those  set 
forth  in  the  petitions  of  1817  than  those  in  the  legislative 
memorial  of  1818.  A  little  more  territory,  however, 


STRUGGLE   OF   MISSOURI    FOR   STATEHOOD 


III 


was  included  in  the  Enabling  Act  than  had  been  asked 
for  in  the  petitions  of  1817,  such  as  the  panhandle  district 
between  the  Mississippi  and  the  St.  Francois  rivers  in 
the  southeastern  part  of  the  State,  and  also  a  strip  along 
the  western  border  about  24 
miles  wide.1 

Now  that  we  have  followed 
in  broad  outline  the  con 
troversy  as  waged  in  Con 
gress  over  the  question  of 
Missouri's  admission  into 
the  Union,  let  us  see  what 
the  Missouri  an  s  had  mean 
while  been  saying  and  doing 
with  regard  to  this  matter. 

They    first    began     to 
express    themselves    on    the 
subject  when  Congress,  ow-          J-  HARDEMAN  WALKER 
ing     to     the     disagreement     .  T°  ^™.  waf,  d"e. the  ™,dus[on  °f 

the      Panhandle  District      in  south- 
OVCr    the    Tallmadge    amend-     eastern  Missouri  within   the  bound- 

ment,  failed  to  pass  the  Mis-    ™  of  the  state.    From  Houck's 

'  History  of  Missouri. 

souri  bill  in  1819,  and  from 

the  mass  of  historical  material  that  has  come  down  to 
us  from  that  time  we  may  well  suppose  that  the  subject 
was  one  upon  which  every  Missourian  spoke  freely. 
Of  those  expressions  of  opinion  that  were  made  more 
or  less  publicly,  the  most  important  were  resolutions 
adopted  at  various  public  meetings,  toasts  proposed 

1  According  to  tradition  the  little  panhandle  district  in  south 
eastern  Missouri  was  included  within  the  boundaries  of  the  State  be 
cause  of  the  activity  of  Mr.  J.  Hardeman  Walker,  who  lived  on  a 
plantation  near  Little  Prairie,  now  Caruthersville.  If  the  southern 
boundary  line  of  the  State  had  been  fixed  at  36°3o'  along  its  entire 
course,  that  section  of  the  country  in  which  he  was  interested  would 
have  been  left  out  of  the  new  State.  He  is  credited  with  handling 
the  matter  in  some  way  so  that  the  territory  lying  between  the 
Mississippi  and  the  St.  Frangois  rivers  should  be  included  as  far 
south  as  the  36th  parallel. 


Public 
Opinion  in 
Missouri 
over  the 
Struggle  in 
Congress 


i.  Methods 
Employed 
in  Expressing 
Opinions 


112 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


2.  Opposi 
tion  to  Con 
gressional 
Restrictions 
Regarding 
Slavery 


and  drunk  at  public  celebrations  and  dinners,  present 
ments  of  grand  juries,  newspaper  editorials,  and  other 
articles  contributed  by  private  individuals.  In  seven 
different  counties  (Montgomery,  St.  Louis,  Howard, 
Washington,  Ste.  Genevieve,  New  Madrid,  and  Cape 
Girardeau)  public  meetings  were  held  during  the  spring 
and  summer  of  1819  and  resolutions  were  adopted  by 
them.  Mention  should  also  be  made  of  the  resolutions 
of  the  Mt.  Pleasant  Baptist  Association  at  its  meeting 
held  in  Howard  County  in  September  of  that  year. 
Accounts  of  at  least  ten  different  public  dinners  and 
celebrations  in  different  parts  of  the  State  have  also 
come  down  to  us.  On  these  occasions  toasts  were  pro 
posed  and  drunk.  The  grand  juries  of  seven  different 
circuit  courts  (St.  Louis,  St.  Charles,  Howard,  Jefferson, 
Lincoln,  Montgomery,  and  Washington  counties)  and  the 
grand  jury  of  the  superior  court  submitted  in  formal 
resolutions  what  they  considered  the  views  of  their  com 
munities.  Numerous  newspaper  editorials  of  importance 
appeared  in  the  five  newspapers  of  the  territory  (Missouri 
Intelligencer,  St.  Louis  Gazette,  St.  Louis  Enquirer,  St. 
Charles  Missourian,  and  Jackson  Herald,  later  known  as 
the  Independent  Patriot],  as  well  as  hundreds  of  articles 
contributed  by  various  writers. 

From  a  study  of  these  different  expressions  it  appears 
that,  on  the  great  issue  that  was  before  the  nation,  the 
people  of  Missouri  were  united  in  opposing  any  attempt 
on  the  part  of  Congress  to  put  any  restrictions  upon 
Missouri  as  the  price  of  her  admission  into  the  Union. 
Only  one  minor  public  gathering  and  only  six  contributed 
newspaper  articles  favored  Congressional  restrictions. 
In  practically  every  resolution  and  editorial  or  con 
tributed  article  that  denied  the  right  of  Congress  to 
impose  any  restrictions  upon  Missouri,  the  argument 
was  based  on  the  United  States  Constitution  and  on 
the  treaty  of  cession.  The  gist  of  this  argument  was, 
first,  that  the  Constitution  gave  Congress  the  power  to 


STRUGGLE  OF  MISSOURI   FOR   STATEHOOD        113 

admit  a  state  into  the  Union,  but  did  not  give  that  body 
the  power  to  lay  any  restriction  upon  a  state  save  that 
its  government  should  be  republican  in  character,  and 
that  inasmuch  as  slavery  was  not  an  anti-republican  in 
stitution,  it  did  not  come  under  constitutional  restriction  ; 
and  second,  that  since  in  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Treaty 
the  United  States  had  guaranteed  to  protect  the  property 
of  the  citizens  of  the  newly  acquired  territory,  Congress 
could  not  place  any  restrictions  on  slavery  in  Missouri 
because  slaves  had  been  held  as  property  in  Louisiana 
prior  to  and  after  iSc^.1  Other  arguments  were  used 
against  Congressional  restrictions,  but  these  just  men 
tioned  were  the  more  important.  However,  beneath 
all  these  arguments  it  may  plainly  be  seen  that  the 
economic  interests  of  the  people  in  the  institution  of 
slavery  had  much,  if  not  most,  to  do  with  their  opposi 
tion  to  Congressional  restrictions. 

Agitation  in  Missouri  against  Congressional  restriction   3.  Recep- 
was  kept  up  until  the  news  was  brought  that  a  compromise  ^ew^of hthe 
had  been  agreed  upon  in  Congress  whereby  the   State   Compromise 
would  be  allowed  to  enter  the  Union  without  any  limita 
tions  upon  her  regarding  slavery.     Some  of  the  bitterest 
articles  in   the   St.   Louis  Enquirer  appeared    after   the 
Missouri  bill  had  been  passed  but  before  the  news  to 
that  effect  had  arrived.     When  it  became  known  in  the 
State  that  Missouri  was  to  be  admitted  without  restric 
tions,  anger  immediately  gave  way  to  exultation. 

1  The  Montgomery  County  resolutions  are  typical  as  regards 
the  argument  used  on  these  points.  It  was  declared  in  these  resolu 
tions  that  the  attempted  restriction  on  Missouri's  admission  was  a 
"daring  stretch  of  power,  an  usurpation  of  our  most  sacred  rights, 
unprecedented,  unconstitutional,  and  in  open  violation  of  the  third 
article  of  the  Treaty  of  Cession  entered  into  with  France"  ;  that  the 
people  "would  never  cease  to  resist  with  firmness  all  such  encroach 
ments  upon  their  right  by  every  possible  constitutional  means"; 
that  they  "regretted  the  necessity  causing  this  protest;  but  duty 
impelled  them  to  protect  their  constitution  against  foreign  or 
domestic  foes." 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


STRUGGLE   OF   MISSOURI   FOR   STATEHOOD         115 

The  bearer  of  the  glad  tidings  was  Thomas  Hempstead, 
who  reached  Jackson,  Missouri,  on  March  21,  1820,  on 
his  way  to  St.  Louis.  When  he  reached  the  latter  place 
he  was  received  with  great  rejoicing.  An  illumination 
was  held  in  honor  of  the  passage  of  the  bill,  and  several 
transparencies  were  displayed,  one  of  which  showed  the 
American  eagle  surmounting  the  Irish  harp ;  another 
"  represented  a  slave  in  great  spirits  over  the  permission 
granted  by  Congress  to  bring  slaves  into  so  fine  a  country 
as  Missouri."  In  others  the  names  of  Northern  Con 
gressmen  who  had  aided  in  the  passage  of  the  bill  were 
exhibited,  among  which  was  the  name  of  Senator  Lenman 
of  Connecticut,  who  had  been  burned  in  effigy  in  Hart 
ford  for  his  attitude  toward  the  Missouri  question.  By 
the  first  of  April  the  news  reached  the  Boone's  Lick  region 
and  a  big  dinner  was  given  in  Franklin  to  celebrate  the 
"late  triumph  over  Eastern  policy  and  Eastern  artifice." 
Missourians  spoke  of  the  Southern  Congressmen  as  "a 
band  of  Spartans  standing  united  in  the  pass  of  Ther 
mopylae,  defending  the  people  of  Missouri,  the  treaty  of 
Cession,  and  the  Constitution  of  the  Republic";  and 
many  persons  suggested  that  an  "imperishable  monu 
ment  of  everlasting  fame"  should  be  erected  to  the 
honor  of  the  Northern  Congressmen  who  had  voted  with 
the  Southerners. 

3.    THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  STATE  GOVERNMENT 

Now  that  the  struggle  in  Congress  was  over,  the  ques-  Election  of 
tion  immediately  arose  before  the  people  of  Missouri  as  Delegates  to 
to  who  should  be  the  delegates  to  the  convention  that  tutionai 
should  draft  the  constitution  for  the  new  State.     This   Convention 
question    was    almost    altogether    political    rather    than 
personal.     The  issue  was  whether  the  State  should  put 
any  restriction  upon  slavery  or  not.     While  the  question 
of  Missouri's  admission  into  the  Union  was  pending  in 
Congress,  the  people  of  the  territory  were,  as  we  have 
already  seen,  practically  united  against  Congress  placing 


n6 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


i.  State  Re 
striction 
upon  Slavery 
—  the  Issue 


2.  NoRe- 

strictionists 

Elected 


Personnel 
of  the 
Convention 


any  restrictions  on  the  State  with  regard  to  slavery. 
But  in  taking  this  attitude  they  were  not  precluded  from 
putting  restrictions  upon  slavery  in  their  own  constitu 
tion.  They  could  very  consistently  deny  the  right  of 
Congress  to  restrict  slavery  in  the  State,  and  yet  place 
whatever  limitations  they  chose  upon  it  themselves. 
It  would  seem  from  the  admissions  made  regarding 
slavery  while  the  Missouri  question  was  pending  in 
Congress  that  the  people  of  the  State  would  be  somewhat 
divided  on  the  matter  of  State  restriction.  It  was  fre 
quently  admitted  that  slavery  was  a  curse  and  an  evil, 
and  the  hope  was  often  expressed  that  national  emanci 
pation  would  eventually  be  brought  about. 

But  as  far  as  our  records  go,  there  were  only  five  out 
of  the  fifteen  counties  in  which  there  was  any  contest 
for  seats  in  the  convention  between  those  who  favored 
State  restriction  and  those  who  opposed  it.  In  none 
of  these  counties  was  there  elected  a  single  delegate  who 
favored  the  State  placing  any  restriction  upon  slavery. 
Out  of  the  56,000  white  population  in  Missouri  at  that 
time,  it  has  been  estimated  that  there  were  from  7000 
to  11,000  voters,  and  of  this  number  not  more  than 
1000  voted  in  favor  of  State  restrictionist  delegates.1 
This  makes  it  quite  conclusive  that  the  Missourians  at 
that  time  were  largely  in  favor  of  maintaining  the  in 
stitution  of  slavery.  There  were  then  over  10,000  slaves 
in  the  territory  and  they  represented  several  millions  of 
dollars  in  value. 

It  is  a  matter  of  interest  to  know  not  only  on  what 
ticket  or  platform  these  delegates  were  elected  in  their 
respective  counties,  but  also  something  of  their  personal 
antecedents  and  their  careers  prior  to  their  election. 
These  facts  throw  some  rather  interesting  sidelights 

1  In  the  five  counties  where  there  were  contests,  there  were  825 
State  restrictionist  votes  cast.  St.  Louis  County  cast  about  400 
of  these.  The  only  contests  that  caused  any  great  interest  were  in 
St.  Louis  and  Jefferson  counties. 


STRUGGLE  OF  MISSOURI   FOR   STATEHOOD        117 


upon  the  work  they  performed  in  the  convention.  It 
is  not  possible,  however,  to  give  here  even  a  brief  sketch 
of  each  of  the  forty-one  members  of  the  convention; 


JOHN  RICE  JONES 

Delegate  to  the  first  constitutional 
convention  of  Missouri.  Reputed 
to  be  the  most  brilliant  member  of 
the  convention.  From  Houck's 
History  of  Missouri. 


EDWARD  BATES 

Another  prominent  delegate  to 
the  first  constitutional  convention 
of  Missouri.  From  Houck's  History 
of  Missouri. 


all  that  can  be  done  here  is  to  note  a  few  things  about 
these  men  in  their  collective  capacity. 

As  regards  nationality,  the  forty-one  members  repre-   i.  Natkmal- 
sented  seven  different  lines   of   descent:      English,    26;  j^rs° 
Welsh,  2  ;    Scotch,  2  ;    Irish,  4  ;    Scotch-Irish,  2  ;    French, 
2  ;   German,  i. 

As  regards  place  of  birth,  33  were  born  in  slave-holding  2.  Place  of 
states  or  territories  (Virginia,  13  ;  Kentucky,  8  ;  Mary 
land,  4 ;  Tennessee,  2  ;  North  Carolina,  2  ;  Spanish 
Upper  Louisiana,  2  ;  South  Carolina,  i)  ;  6  in  free  states 
or  territories  (Pennsylvania,  3  ;  Indiana  Territory,  i  ; 
New  York,  i;  Vermont,  i)  ;  and  2  in  foreign  countries 
(Wales,  i  ;  Ireland,  i). 

As  regards  the  place  where  the  delegates  were  reared  3.  Place  of 
before   coming   to   Missouri,    17    came   from   Maryland, 
Virginia,  and  Kentucky;    8  from  Tennessee  and  North 


Il8  HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 

Carolina ;    5  from  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois ;    3  from 
Pennsylvania  and  Spanish  Upper  Louisiana. 

4.  Occupa-  As  regards  occupation,  the  delegates  represented  six 
different  occupations  :  law,  9  ;  business,  13;  agriculture, 
13  ;  medicine,  2  ;  surveying,  2  ;  education,  2.  Thirty 
of  these  forty-one  might  be  classed  as  politicians.  All 
but  four  were  men  of  means,  and  fourteen  were  among 
the  wealthiest  in  the  territory.  Notwithstanding  the 
small  number  of  lawyers  in  the  convention,  the  real 


rria «  *  I  •.»  »  fiitfi.:^ 

!ll:;il|ls|| 
aiiiii  ii'iiioiHit 

JS..^..  •• -M'.t:   'IB  :  .::;_-.^^iii— i—»-B« 


MANSION  HOUSE,  ST.  Louis 
Where  the  first  constitutional  convention  of  Missouri  held  its  sessions. 

leadership  rested  with  them  and  with  the  business  men. 
The  most  prominent  members  were  David  Barton,  John 
Rice  Jones,  Duff  Green,  Edward  Bates,  and  Henry  Dodge, 
with  John  Cook,  Jonathan  S.  Findlay,  Alexander  McNair, 
and  John  Scott  as  close  seconds.  All  of  the  forty-one  men 
were  of  more  than  average  ability. 

Work  of  the        The  convention  met  in  the   Mansion  House   Hotel  in 
Convention     g^    Louig   Qn  junc    ^    i82Q,  and  organizcd  with   David 

Barton,  the  most  popular  man  in  the  convention,  as 
chairman.  In  a  little  more  than  a  month  the  convention 

1  The  convention  held  its  meetings  in  the  dining  room  of  this 
building.  After  going  under  different  names,  the  building  was 
torn  down  between  1880  and  1888.  It  stood  on  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  present  Third  and  E  streets. 


STRUGGLE  OF  MISSOURI   FOR   STATEHOOD        119 


framed  and  adopted  a  constitution  which  went  into  effect   i.  Adoption 
at  once  without  being  submitted  to  the  people  for  their  rat-  ^^ °n~ 
ification.     As  this  method  of   procedure  in  adopting  or  without 
amending  constitutions  would  not  be  tolerated  to-day ,  a  mo- 
ment's  consideration  may  properly  be  given  to  the  reasons  People 
why  it  was  followed  in  Missouri  in  1820.     From  one  point 
of  view  it  would  seem  as  though  the  refusal  of  Missouri's 
convention  to  submit  the  new  constitution  to  the  people 
was  in  accord  with  the 
generally  accepted  cus 
tom   of    the    times    in 
such  matters.     Of  the 
twenty-four  state  con 
stitutions  then  in  force, 
only  six  had  been  sub 
mitted  ;     and    of    the 
forty-two  constitu 
tional     conventions, 
state     and      national, 
that    had    been    held 
between  1775  and  1820 
for  the  purpose  of  fram 
ing  or  amending  con 
stitutions,  only  fifteen 

had    Submitted    to    the         President   of    the   first    constitutional   con- 
1          1  ,     vention  of  Missouri  and  one  of  the  first  two 

people     the    results    Ot     United  States  Senators  from  Missouri. 

their  labors.    But  from 

another  point  of  view  it  appears  that  the  principle  of 
submitting  to  the  people  the  drafts  of  constitutions 
and  constitutional  amendments  was  becoming  estab 
lished  by  1820,  and  that  the  Missouri  convention  was 
going  against  that  tendency  in  refusing  to  submit  the 
constitution  it  had  drafted.  For,  if  the  constitutional 
conventions  that  were  held  in  1775  and  1776  be  eliminated 
from  the  list  of  those  that  were  held  between  1775  and 
1820,  the  number  of  conventions  that  submitted  to  the 
people  the  constitutions  which  they  had  drafted  remains 


DAVID  BARTON 


I2O 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.    Adoption 
of  an  Ordi 
nance  Ac 
cepting  the 
Five  Propo 
sitions  of 
Congress 


at  fifteen,  but  the  number  of  those  that  did  not  do  so  is 
reduced  to  seventeen.  Moreover,  of  all  the  constitutions 
and  constitutional  revisions  made  by  six  different  states 
between  1820  and  1830  inclusive,  Missouri's  is  the  only 
one  that  was  not  submitted  to  the  people. 

If  from  these  considerations  it  seems  proper  to  con 
clude  that  the  principle  of  submitting  constitutions  to  the 
people  for  their  approval  or  rejection  was  becoming  es 
tablished  in  our  political  life  by  1820,  we  are  forced  to 
find  the  reasons  why  the  Missouri  convention  did  not  fol 
low  that  principle.  They  have  been  summarized  by 
Shoemaker  in  his  Missouri's  Struggle  for  Statehood  as 
follows : 

"There  was  no  demand  on  the  part  of  the  people  for 
such  a  referendum  or  adoption ;  the  people  of  Missouri 
Territory  wanted  an  immediate  state  government  without 
further  delay ;  the  delegates  possessed  the  confidence  of 
their  constituents  ;  the  constitution  was  generally  accepta 
ble  ;  submitting  conventions  were  then  the  exception  in 
the  South ;  and  finally,  the  convention  itself  was  un 
doubtedly  opposed  to  such  a  course." 

The  convention  was  called  upon  not  only  to  frame  a 
constitution,  but  also  to  consider  the  five  propositions  that 
had  been  made  by  Congress  to  the  people  of  Missouri  in 
the  Enabling  Act  of  1820.  According  to  these  propositions 
Congress  agreed  to  make  the  following  grants  to  the 
people  of  Missouri :  ( i )  the  sixteenth  section  in  every 
township  for  school  purposes;  (2)  all  salt  springs  in  the 
State,  not  to  exceed  twelve  in  number,  and  six  sections  of 
land  lying  around  each  of  these  springs  ;  (3)  five  per  cent 
of  the  proceeds  from  the  sale  of  all  public  lands  in  Missouri 
for  the  building  of  canals  and  public  roads  in  the  State 
and  leading  to  it ;  (4)  four  sections  of  land  for  a  State 
capital ;  (5)  thirty-six  sections  of  land  for  a  seminary  of 
learning.  All  these  grants  were  conditional,  however, 
upon  the  passage  of  an  ordinance  by  the  Missouri  con 
stitutional  convention  providing :  ( i )  that  all  public 


STRUGGLE   OF   MISSOURI   FOR   STATEHOOD         121 

land  sold  in  Missouri  after  January  i,  1821,  should  be 
exempt  from  all  state,  county,  and  township  taxes  for  five 
years ;  (2)  that  all  bounty  lands  granted  in  Missouri  for 
military  service  during  the  War  of  1812  should  be  exempt 
for  three  years  from  the  date  of  the  patents,  providing 
these  lands  were  then  held  by  the  patentees  or  their 
heirs. 

After  giving  these  propositions  due  consideration,  an 
ordinance  was  passed  by  the  convention  accepting 
them,  and,  like  the  constitution,  it  was  made  effective 
without  being  submitted  to  the  people.1  This  ordinance 
is  still  in  force.  The  constitution  that  was  put  into  op 
eration  by  the  convention  in  1820  was  superseded  by 
another  in  1865  and  that  in  turn  by  the  present  one  in 
1875;  but  the  ordinance  passed  by  this  constitutional 
convention  on  July  19,  1820,  was  irrevocable  except  by 
the  consent  of  Congress,  and  it  has  remained  unchanged 
to  this  day.  It  should  be  noted  that  the  ordinance  was 
not  requisite  for  the  admission  of  Missouri  into  the  Union, 
but  it  was  necessary  if  Missouri  was  to  receive  any  national 
land  grants  and  money  aid  for  internal  improvements, 
education,  and  a  seat  of  government. 

The  Missouri  constitution  of  1820  divides  itself  readily   Constitution 
into   five    parts:     (i)   a   preamble;     (2)   a  definition    of  c 
boundaries ;    (3)  a  frame  of  government,  its  powers  and 
limitations ;    (4)  a  declaration  of  rights ;    (5)  a  schedule. 

The  preamble  is  as  follows : 

"We,  the  people  of  Missouri  inhabiting  the  limits  here-  i.  Preamble 
inafter  designated,  by  our  representatives  in  convention 
assembled  at  St.  Louis  on  Monday,  the  twelfth  day  of 
June,  1820,  do  mutually  agree  to  form  and  establish  a 
free  and  independent  republic  by  the  name  of  the  State 
of  Missouri,  and  for  the  government  thereof  do  ordain 
and  establish  this  constitution." 

1  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  if  the  convention  had  submitted 
the  constitution  and  the  ordinance  to  the  people,  both  would  have 
been  almost  unanimously  adopted. 


122 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Bounda 
ries 


3.  Frame  of 
Government 


(a)  Legisla 
tive  Depart 
ment 


This  preamble  is  unique  in  that  no  other  constitution 
had  one  that  was  just  like  it,  though  several  bore  re 
semblances.  The  phrase  "a  free  and  independent  re 
public"  usually  attracts  undue  attention,  for  while  the 
word  " republic"  appears  in  no  other  constitution,  the 
phrase  ' '  a  free  and  independent  state ' '  had  been 
employed  in  at  least  six  different  constitutions.1 
No  special  significance  is  therefore  to  be  attached 
to  the  use  of  the  word  "republic"  in  the  Missouri 
constitution. 

The  boundaries  were  described  in  language  that  is 
identical  with  that  used  in  the  Enabling  Act,  and  they 
need  not  be  reviewed  again. 

The  powers  of  government  were  divided  into  three 
distinct  departments,  the  legislative,  the  executive,  and 
the  judicial. 

The  legislative  power  was  vested  in  a  general  assembly 
which  was  composed  of  two  bodies,  a  senate  and  a  house 
of  representatives.2  The  membership  of  the  house  of 
representatives  was  to  consist  of  representatives  elected 
for  two  years  from  the  counties  in  proportion  to  their 
population,  provided  that  each  county  should  have  at 
least  one  representative  and  that  the  total  number  of 
representatives  should  not  exceed  100.  The  senate  was 
to  be  composed  of  senators  elected  for  four  years  from 
senatorial  districts,  provided  there  should  be  not  less  than 
14  senators  nor  more  than  33.  No  officer  of  the  United 
States,  no  priest  or  clergyman  was  eligible  for  member 
ship  in  the  general  assembly.  The  electors  were  all  free 
white  male  citizens  of  the  United  States  over  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  who  had  resided  in  the  State  one  year,  and 
in  the  county  in  which  they  voted,  three  months.  Gen 
eral  elections  were  to  be  held  every  two  years,  on  the  first 

1  These  six  states  were  Louisiana,  Ohio,  Tennessee,  Mississippi, 
Indiana,  and  Illinois. 

2  At  that   time  Vermont   was   the   only   state  that  had  a  one- 
house  legislature. 


STRUGGLE   OF   MISSOURI   FOR   STATEHOOD         123 

Monday  in  August,  and  sessions  of  the  legislature  were 
to  be  held  biennally.1 

The  executive  power  was  vested  in  a  governor,  a  (ft)  Execu- 
lieutenant  governor,  an  adjutant  general,  an  auditor,  a  ^venfepart" 
secretary  of  state,  and  a  treasurer.  The  governor  was 
to  be  elected  for  a  term  of  four  years  and  was  ineligible 
for  reelection  for  the  next  four  years.  His  compensation 
was  to  be  fixed  by  the  legislature,  provided  it  should 
be  not  less  than  $2000  a  year.  The  lieutenant  governor 
also  was  to  be  elected  in  the  same  manner  as  the  governor 
and  to  act  during  his  term  of  office  as  president  of  the 
senate.  The  adjutant  general  was  to  be  appointed  by 
the  governor  and  might  be  removed  by  him  at  any  time. 
The  auditor,  the  attorney  general,  and  the  secretary  of 
state  were  to  be  appointed  by  the  governor  and  the 
senate  for  a  term  of  four  years.  The  treasurer  was  to 
be  appointed  by  the  two  houses  of  the  legislature  for  a 
term  of  two  years. 

The  judicial  power  was  vested  in  a  supreme  court,  a  (c)  judicial 
chancellor,  circuit  courts,  and  such  inferior  courts  as  the  DePartment 
legislature  might  create,  and  justices  of  the  peace.  The 
three  judges  of  the  supreme  court  and  of  the  circuit 
courts  and  the  chancellor  were  to  be  appointed  by  the  gov 
ernor  and  the  senate,  and  were  to  hold  office  during  good 
behavior.  Their  salaries  were  to  be  not  less  than  $2000 
each.  The  supreme  court  was  to  have  appellate  juris 
diction  throughout  the  State  and  to  have  general  super 
vision  over  all  inferior  courts  of  law.  The  circuit  courts 
were  to  have  jurisdiction  over  criminal  cases  and  civil 
cases  in  equity  that  might  arise  in  their  circuits.  The 
court  of  chancery2  was  to  have  original  and  appellate 

1  At   that   time   only   two   states,    Illinois   and   Tennessee,    held 
biennial  sessions  of  their  legislatures.     All  the  others  held  annual 
sessions. 

2  There  was  a  great  deal  of  opposition  to  the  chancellor  and  the 
court    of   chancery  from  the   beginning,  and  they  were    abolished 
by  a  constitutional  amendment  in  1822. 


124  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

jurisdiction  in  all  cases  of  equity.  Inferior  tribunals  were 
to  be  established  in  each  county  for  the  transaction  of 
all  county  business  and  probate  matters. 

(d)  Local  Provisions  were  made  for  the  election  of  a  sheriff  and 

a  coroner  by  the  people  of  each  county,  and  for  the  ap 
pointment  of  as  many  justices  of  the  peace  in  each  county 
as  might  be  thought  necessary  for  the  public  good. 
4.  Declara-         The  declaration  of  rights,  which  contained  provisions 
Rights  and      guaranteeing  personal  liberties,  and  the  schedule,  which 
Schedule         provided  for  the  transition  from  the  territorial  status  to 
that  of  statehood,  need  no  special  elaboration  here. 

Two  matters  yet  remain  for  our  consideration.  First, 
the  men  who  were  chiefly  responsible  for  shaping  the 
constitution  which  has  just  been  outlined ;  and  second, 
the  sources  from  which  they  drew  their  material. 
Kramers  of  According  to  tradition,  the  honor  of  framing  the  con- 
Constitution  stitution  belongs  primarily  to  David  Barton,  who  was  the 
chairman  of  the  convention  and  who  shortly  afterward 
was  elected  as  Missouri's  first  United  States  Senator. 
It  is  true  that  he  wielded  a  most  important  influence  in 
the  convention  by  virtue  of  his  official  position  as  chair 
man  and  also  of  his  leadership  in  the  political  machine. 
As  chairman  he  appointed  all  committees  of  the  con 
vention,  and  as  head  of  the  political  machine  he  pulled 
many  of  the  wires.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  the 
principal  authors  of  the  constitution,  aside  from  David 
Barton,  were  Edward  Bates,  John  D.  Cook,  John  Rice 
Jones,  Jonathan  S.  Findlay,  and  John  Scott.  "They 
held  first  place  as  introducers  of  measures,  as  voters  in 
the  convention,  and  as  members  of  the  three  most  im 
portant  committees."  In  order  that  this  statement  con 
cerning  these  men  may  be  better  understood,  something 
should  be  said  about  the  manner  in  which  the  convention 
did  its  work. 

After  the  convention  had  effected  its  organization,  a 
resolution  was  introduced  by  Bates  providing  for  the 
appointment  of  a  single  committee  to  draft  a  constitution. 


STRUGGLE  OF  MISSOURI   FOR  STATEHOOD        125 

This  was  voted  down,  however,  and  a  resolution  provid 
ing  for  four  committees  of  three  members  each,  to  draft 
different  parts  of  the  constitution,  was  proposed  and 
carried.  One  of  these  committees,  composed  of  Jones, 
Emmons,  and  Clark,  was  to  draft  the  legislative  depart 
ment;  another,  composed  of  Rector,  John  Cook,  and 
Evans,  the  executive  department ;  another,  composed 
of  Thomas,  Nathaniel  Cook,  and  Bates,  the  judiciary ; 
and  another,  composed  of  Ramsay,  Hammond,  and 
Green,  the  bill  of  rights. 

In  two  days  after  these  committees  had  been  appointed 
they  reported  their  drafts,  and  these,  without  being  read, 
printed,  or  discussed  in  the  convention,  were,  by  a  vote 
of  the  convention,  turned  over  to  a  select  committee 
composed  of  four  men,  one  from  each  of  the  four  com 
mittees  that  had  drafted  different  parts  of  the  constitution. 
The  purpose  of  this  was  to  put  the  reports  of  these  four 
committees  into  one  consistent  whole.  Jones,  Evans, 
John  Cook,  and  Ramsay  were  appointed  on  this  com 
mittee.  On  the  day  following  their  appointment  they 
submitted  to  the  convention  the  draft  of  the  constitution 
which  they  had  made  from  the  reports  of  the  four  original 
committees. 

Shortly  afterward  another  committee  of  three,  which 
might  be  called  the  committee  on  style,  was  appointed 
to  revise  and  rearrange  the  sections  of  the  constitution, 
as  passed  by  the  committee  of  the  whole,  without  alter 
ing  in  any  way  their  substance.  Bates,  John  Cook,  and 
Findlay  were  appointed  on  this  committee.  There  was 
still  another  committee,  that  of  enrollment,  which  was 
to  engross  the  different  articles  for  the  third  reading  and 
final  passage.  Findlay,  Cook,  and  Bates  were  on  this 
committee. 

In  addition  to  these  regular  committees  there  were 
some  special  committees  appointed  to  consider  certain 
matters  that  came  up  during  the  course  of  the  convention, 
such  as  banks,  permanent  seat  of  government,  and  the  like. 


126  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

Of  the  regular  committees  the  two  most  important 
were  the  select  committee  and  the  committee  on  style, 
and  of  the  special  committees  the  most  important  was  the 
one  on  banks.  On  looking  over  the  membership  of  these 
committees,  we  find  that  Jones  and  Cook  were  on  the  se 
lect  committee,  Bates,  Cook,  and  Findlay  on  the  com 
mittee  on  style,  and  Findlay  on  the  committee  on  banks. 
And  when  we  find  further  that  the  records  of  the  conven 
tion  show  that  Jones,  Cook,  Bates,  and  Findlay  were 
generally  successful  in  getting  their  views  on  the  different 
questions  before  the  convention  adopted,  we  may  well 
conclude  that  the  honor  of  being  the  principal  authors  of 
the  constitution  should  be  shared  by  them  along  with 
Barton,  the  chairman,  and  with  Scott,  the  territorial  dele 
gate. 
Sources  With  regard  to  the  sources  from  which  the  makers  of 

Constitution  Our  first  constituti°n  Sot  tneir  material,  it  seems  that 
practically  none  of  it  was  original  but  that  all  of  it  was 
borrowed  from  other  existing  state  constitutions.  "In 
the  passing  of  some  parts  it  is  apparent  that  one  or  two 
state  constitutions  were  largely  the  patterns  followed ; 
as  regards  other  parts,  it  appears  that  they  were  selected 
from  first  one  and  then  another  state's  organic  law. 
Naturally  the  very  character  of  the  inhabitants  of  Missouri 
predisposed  them  to  follow  the  Southern  type  of  consti 
tution,  especially  that  of  Kentucky  and  of  Alabama,  in 
preference  to  the  Northern  type ;  but  this  apparently  did 
not  in  -the  least  hinder  the  convention  from  favoring  and 
choosing  sections  from  the  constitutions  of  Maine,  Dela 
ware,  Connecticut,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  or  Indiana,  and 
throughout  the  entire  document  is  seen  the  great  influence 
exerted  by  the  constitution  of  Illinois.  In  fact  it  appears 
that,  with  the  exception  of  Kentucky,  the  most  newly 
framed  constitutions,  e.g.  those  of  Alabama,  Illinois,  and 
Maine,  were  more  influential  than  the  others.  Further, 
it  appears  that  the  framers  of  our  constitution  strove 
conscientiously  to  adopt  those  provisions,  from  whatever 


STRUGGLE  OF  MISSOURI   FOR  STATEHOOD        127 


source  they  came,  that  in  their  view  were  the  best  fitted 
for. guiding  Missouri  in  her  future  development." 

Missouri's  statehood,   according  to  Shoemaker,   dates  Missouri, 
from  July   19,   1820,  the  day  on  which   the   convention   j^i™ 
adopted  the  constitution,  although,  as  we  shall  presently   1820 
see,   she  was  not  admitted  into  the  Union  until  more 
than  a  year  later.     On  the  very  day  that  the  constitution 
was  thus  adopted  by  the  convention,  writs  were  issued 


ALEXANDER  McNAiR 

First  governor  of  the  State  of 
Missouri.  From  Houck's  History 
of  Missouri. 


JOHN  SCOTT 

Territorial  delegate  from  Mis 
souri,  1816-20,  and  Congressman 
from  Missouri,  1820-26.  From 
Houck's  History  of  Missouri. 


Election 


by  Mr.  Barton,  president  of  the  convention,  and  sent 
to  the  sheriffs  of  the  different  counties,  directing  them  to 
arrange  for  the  first  general  election,  which  was  set  for 
August  28. 

Alexander  McNair  was  elected  governor,  defeating  First  state 
Clark,  who  at  the  time  was  territorial  governor,  by  more 
than  4000  votes.1  William  Ashley  was  chosen  lieutenant 
governor  by  a  very  close  margin  in  a  three-cornered  race. 
John  Scott,  who  had  been  territorial  delegate  to  Congress 
ever  since  1816,  was  elected  as  Representative  without 
1  The  vote  for  McNair  was  6,576;  for  Clark,  2,556. 


128 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


First 

General 

Assembly 


i.  Election 
of  Barton 
and  Benton 
as  United 
States 
Senators 


opposition.  According  to  the  schedule  provided  for  in 
the  constitution,  57  representatives  and  14  senators  were 
elected  to  the  general  assembly.  In  some  of  the  coun 
ties  a  great  deal  of  interest  was  shown  in  these  offices, 
there  being  39  candidates  for  the  general  assembly  in 
Howard  County  and  19  in  St.  Louis.  Only  7  out  of  the 
41  members  of  the  constitutional  convention  were  sent 
to  the  general  assembly. 

The  first  general  assembly  convened  at  the   Missouri 
Hotel  in  St.  Louis  on  September  18,  1820,  and  Governor 


MISSOURI  HOTEL,  ST.  LOUIS 

In  this  building  the  first  legislature  of  the  State  of  Missouri  convened  on 
September  18,  1820.  This  hotel  stood  on  the  corner  of  what  are  now  North 
Main  and  North  streets.  It  was  torn  down  in  1873. 

McNair  and  Lieutenant  Governor  Ashley  were  inaugu 
rated  the  next  day.  Perhaps  the  most  important  business 
that  came  before  that  body  at  its  first  session  was  the 
election  of  the  two  United  States  Senators.  This  oc 
curred  on  October  2,  when  David  Barton  and  Thomas 
Hart  Benton  were  chosen  in  joint  session  of  the  houses 
on  the  first  ballot  viva  voce.  There  were  six  candidates  in 
the  field,  Barton,  Benton,  John  B.  C.  Lucas,  Henry 
Elliott,  John  R.  Jones,  and  Nathaniel  Cook.  According 
to  traditional  accounts  that  have  long  been  in  circulation 
and  accepted  as  the  truth,  Barton  was  elected  unanimously 
on  the  first  ballot,  but  Benton  was  chosen  only  after 


STRUGGLE   OF   MISSOURI   FOR   STATEHOOD    '     129 


several  days  had  been  spent  in  balloting.  The  senate 
journal,  however,  disproves  that  story  and  shows  very 
conclusively  that  only  one  ballot  was  taken  and  that 
Barton  and  Benton  were  elected  at  the  same  time.1 

It  must  be  admitted,  however,  that  Benton's  election 
was  secured  only  by  heroic  methods  and  vigorous  wire 
pulling.  It  was  very  evi 
dent  in  advance  that  Barton 
would  have  a  safe  majority. 
He  was  by  far  the  most 
popular  man  in  the  State  at 
that  time.  But  it  was  seem 
ingly  certain  that  no  one  of 
the  other  candidates  would 
be  able  to  command  even  a 
bare  majority.  Barton  seems 
to  have  been  consulted  by 
his  supporters  as  to  whom  he 
would  like  to  have  as  his 
colleague,  and  he  expressed 
a  preference  for  Benton.  As 
there  were  52  members  of 
the  two  houses  in  attendance 
at  the  time  the  voting  was 

done,  27  votes  were  necessary  for  an  election.  Only  26 
votes,  however,  could  be  counted  upon  as  safe  for  Benton. 
It  was  therefore  imperative  to  secure  one  more  vote  before 
the  election  occurred.  The  member  upon  whom  pressure 
wras  brought  to  bear  to  support  Benton  was  Marie  Philip 
Leduc.  After  an  all-night  conference  of  men  who  had 
interested  themselves  in  favor  of  Benton,  Leduc  was 
induced  to  promise  to  support  Benton  instead  of  Judge 
Lucas,  who  was  Benton's  strongest  rival.  It  is  said 
that  Leduc  had  been  won  to  the  side  of  Benton  through 
the  argument  that  if  Benton  was  elected  he,  Leduc, 

1  The  vote  was  as  follows  :   Barton,  34  ;    Benton,  27  ;    Lucas,  16  ; 
Elliott,  10  ;    Jones,  9  ;    Cook,  6. 


THOMAS  HART  BENTON 

At  the  age  of  34,  four  years  before 
he  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate  for  the  first  time.  From 
Houck's  History  of  Missouri. 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


would  stand  a  better  chance  of  getting  his  Spanish  land 
claims  confirmed  than  if  Lucas  were  elected.  Lucas 
had  been  for  twenty  years  one  of  the  commissioners  for 
adjusting  the  titles  under  these  grants  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Upper  Louisiana,  and  as  such  had  been  opposed  to  their 
confirmation  by  the  United  States.  If  Lucas  were  elected 
to  the  United  States  Senate,  it  was  said  that  he  would 

be  in  a  position  to 
block  all  the  more 
effectively  the  land 
claims  of  Leduc  and 
all  others,  while,  on 
the  other  hand,  if 

Benton  were  elect- 
ed,  he,  Benton, 

would  be  active 
in  securing  laws 
that  would  con 
firm  these  claims. 

The  winning   of 
Leduc  made   Ben- 
THE  CAPITOL  OF  MISSOURI  AT  ST.  CHARLES    ton's  election  sure 

provided  it  oc 
curred  immedi 
ately.  One  of  Ben- 
ton's  supporters,  Daniel  Rails,  was  mortally  ill  and  his 
death  was  momentarily  expected.  Rails  was  rooming  up 
stairs  in  the  hotel  where  the  assembly  was  sitting,  but  as  he 
was  too  sick  to  sit  up  or  even  to  lift  his  head,  it  was  decided 
to  bring  him  down  to  the  assembly  in  his  bed  when  the  time 
came  to  elect  senators.  Accordingly  four  large  negro  men 
carried  the  bed  downstairs  with  Rails  in  it  and  thus  he  was 
able  to  cast  his  vote  for  Benton.  After  the  ballot  had  been 
taken  and  Benton  declared  elected,  Rails  was  carried  back 
to  his  room,  where  he  very  shortly  afterward  died.1 

1  During  this  session  the  legislature  named  after   Mr.    Rails   one 
of  the  new  counties  created  at  the  time. 


St.  Charles  was  the  temporary  capital  of  Mis 
souri  from  1821  to  1826,  during  which  time  this 
building  was  used  as  the  capitol. 


STRUGGLE   OF   MISSOURI   FOR   STATEHOOD         131 

In  addition  to  the  election  of  the  two  United  States   2.  Other 
Senators,  other  matters  of  importance  were   transacted   Busmess 
by   the    general   assembly   at    its    first    session,    among 
which  was  the  selection  of  St.  Charles  as  the  temporary 
capital  until  October  i,  1826,  and  the  appointment  of  a 
commission   of   five   men   to   report   on   the    permanent 
capital.1     Ten  new  counties  were  created  2  and  the  three 
Presidential  electors  to  which  Missouri  claimed  she  was 
entitled  were  selected.     An  attempt  was  made  to  pass  a 


ANOTHER  VIEW  OF  THE  TEMPORARY  CAPITOL  AT  ST.  CHARLES 
As  it  looks  to-day. 

resolution  providing  for  several  amendments  to  the  State 
constitution.  The  court  of  chancery  and  the  high  mini 
mum  salaries  were  very  unpopular  throughout  the  State, 
but  all  attempts  to  get  the  legislature  to  pass  a  resolution 
providing  for  constitutional  amendments  abolishing  the 
court  of  chancery  and  reducing  salaries  failed. 

1  On  December  31,  1821,  the  general  assembly  passed  an  act 
fixing  the  permanent  capital  on  the  banks  of  the  Missouri  within 
40  miles  of  the  mouth  of  the  Osage  River,  and  gave  the  name  City 
of  Jefferson  to  the  place.  The  legislature  met  there  for  the  first 
time  in  1826.  2  See  pages  79-80. 


132 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


SECOND  MISSOURI  COMPROMISE    AND    ADMISSION 
MISSOURI  INTO  THE  UNION 


OF 


Second 

Missouri 

Compromise 


i.  Objec 
tionable 
Clause  in 
Constitution 
Regarding 
Free  Negroes 


As  has  already  been  stated,  Missouri  was  not  admitted 
into  the  Union  until  more  than  a  year  after  her  constitu 
tion  was  adopted.  The  reason  for  the  delay  was  the 
objection  that  members  of  Congress  raised  against  a 
certain  clause  in  the  constitution  of  Missouri  which  pro 
vided  that  it  should  be  the  duty  of  the  general  assembly 
to  pass  such  laws  as  might  be  necessary  "to  prevent  free 

negroes  and  mulattoes  from 
coming  to  and  settling  in 
the  State  under  any  pretext 
whatsoever."  Members  of 
Congress  did  not  have  to 
wait  until  Missouri's  con 
stitution  was  formally  sub 
mitted  to  Congress  to  find 
out  about  this  objectionable 
clause.  They  had  heard 
about  it  in  advance,  and  the 
opponents  of  Missouri  had 
their  minds  made  up  to  keep 
her  out  of  the  Union  so  long 
as  this  clause  remained  in 
the  constitution.  Barton,  Benton,  and  Scott  soon  dis 
covered  what  the  plan  of  the  opponents  of  Missouri 
was,  for  they  were  not  allowed  to  take  their  seats  as 
Senators  and  Representatives  until  Missouri's  constitu 
tion  was  accepted.  Scott  would  have  been  allowed  to 
be  seated  as  a  delegate  from  the  Territory  of  Missouri, 
but  this  he  persistently  refused.  Moreover,  Congress 
refused  to  accept  Missouri's  electoral  vote  except  by 
special  arrangement,  and  would  not  have  done  that  had 
it  not  been  that  her  vote  did  not  affect  the  final  result.1 

1  The  first  Presidential  electors  from  Missouri  were  elected  not 
by  the  people  of  the  State  but  by  the  legislature.  This  occurred 


SEAL  OF  THE  STATE  OF  MISSOURI 

Adopted  by  an  act  of  the  legisla 
ture  approved  January  n,  1822. 
From  Houck's  History  of  Missouri. 


STRUGGLE  OF  MISSOURI   FOR  STATEHOOD        133 


The  details  of  the  action  of  Congress  need  not  be  re-   2.  Terms  of 


lated  here.  It  is  sufficient  to  state  that  after  consider 
able  debate  and  many  attempts  to  settle  the  matter,  a 
second  Missouri  Compromise  was  effected  through  Clay, 


the  Com 
promise 


THE  CAPITOL  AT  JEFFERSON  CITY  FROM  1837  TO  1887 

Jefferson  City  became  the  capital  of  Missouri  in  1826.  A  capitol  building 
was  erected  there  in  1825-26  on  the  site  of  the  present  governor's  mansion. 
This  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1837.  A  second  capitol  was  erected  in  1837-38 
on  Capitol  Hill,  and  remained  unchanged,  as  shown  in  the  picture  above, 
until  1887. 

whereby  Missouri  was  allowed  to  come  into  the  Union 
with  the  constitution  she  had  adopted ;  provided,  first, 

on  November  2,  1820,  by  a  joint  vote  of  both  houses.  The  three 
electors  chosen  pledged  themselves  to  vote  for  Monroe. 

When  the  time  came  for  Congress  to  canvass  the  results  of  the 
election,  the  question  at  once  arose  as  to  whether  Missouri  had  a 
right  to  vote  or  not.  Missouri  had  not  been  admitted  into  the 
Union  as  yet,  and  although  her  vote  would  not  affect  the  outcome 
of  the  election,  the  question  was  deemed  a  very  important  one. 
The  same  question  had  arisen  in  the  case  of  Indiana  in  1817.  She 
had  not  been  admitted  into  the  Union  at  the  time  of  the  election 
in  November,  1816,  but  she  had  been  admitted  by  the  time  Congress 
came  to  canvass  the  vote  in  February,  1817.  The  decision  that 
was  reached  then  was  to  count  Indiana's  vote. 

But  Missouri's  case  was  not  so  simple  as  that  of  Indiana,  inas 
much  as  Missouri  had  not  yet  been  admitted  at  the  time  Congress 
canvassed  the  vote.  Congress  wrestled  with  the  matter  for  some 


134 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.  Expres 
sions  of 
Public 
Opinion  in 
Missouri 
Regarding 
Congres 
sional  Delay 


that  the  objectionable  clause  should  never  be  construed 
by  the  State  to  authorize  the  passage  of  a  law  by  which 
any  citizen  of  any  of  the  states  of  the  Union  should  be 
excluded  from  the  enjoyment  of  the  privileges  and  im 
munities  to  which  such  a  citizen  is  entitled  under  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States ;  and  second,  that  the 
legislature  of  the  State  by  a  solemn  public  act  should 
declare  the  assent  of  the  State  to  this  fundamental 
condition.  It  was  further  provided  that  when  the 
President  should  have  received  an  authorized  copy  of 
this  solemn  public  act,  he  should  announce  the  fact 
and  thereupon  the  admission  of  Missouri  would  be  com 
pleted. 

The  situation  while  this  matter  was  pending  in  Congress 
was  very  trying  to  Missouri ans,  as  may  well  be  imagined. 
They  had  a  good  deal  to  say,  but  "the  expressions  of  public 
opinion  were  strangely  neither  boastful  nor  defiant.  Never 
did  Missouri  more  calmly  and  determinedly  analyze  a 
condition  critical  to  herself  and  to  the  nation  than  at  this 
time.  Never  was  a  people  more  united,  more  of  one 
thought  in  their  convictions,  than  were  Missourians  dur 
ing  the  winter  of  1820-21.  They  regarded  Missouri  as 
a  state,  and  whether  Congress  passed  an  act  of  admission 
or  not,  they  were  determined  she  should  never  again  be 
come  a  territory  unless  force  was  used.  They  thought 
that  Missouri  had  acted  legally  when  a  state  constitution 
was  formed  and  adopted  and  a  state  government  was 
established.  They  saw  nothing  in  Missouri's  constitu 
tion  that  was  contrary  to  the  United  States  Constitution, 
but  they  said  that  if  by  chance  there  was  an  illegal  pro- 
time,  but  finally  decided  that  if  any  one  objected  to  Missouri's  vote, 
the  result  should  be  reported  in  two  ways:  "Were  the  vote  of 
Missouri  to  be  counted,  the  result  would  be  for  A.  B.  for  President 

of  the  United  States votes;    if  not  counted,  for  A.   B.  for 

President  of  the  United  States votes.     But  in  either  event 

A.  B.  is  elected  President  of  the  United  States.  The  same  manner 
for  Vice- President." 


STRUGGLE   OF   MISSOURI    FOR    STATEHOOD         135 

vision  in  it,  then  the  interpretation  of  this  was  a  judicial 
and  not  a  legislative  function.  They  were  convinced  that 
Northern  Congressmen  were  trying  to  embarrass  Missouri, 
increase  the  extent  of  free  soil,  and  impose  their  will  on 
the  slave  states." 

When  the  people  of  Missouri  heard  of  the  passage  of   4-  Rejoicing 
the  above-mentioned   resolution   of   Congress   providing   J^^f^I" 
for  the  admission  of  Missouri,  they  were  naturally  very  ception  of 

the  News 


THE  CAPITOL  AT  JEFFERSON  CITY  FROM  1887  TO  1901 

The  capitol  built  in  1837—38  was  remodeled  and  enlarged  in  1887-88  as 
shown  in  this  picture.  It  was  destroyed  by  fire  on  February  5,  1911.  For  a 
picture  of  the  capitol  that  was  erected  in  its  place,  see  the  last  chapter. 

joyous.  "  Their  joy,  was,  however,  founded  mainly  not 
on  the  pleasant  anticipations  of  statehood  in  the  Union 
in  a  few  months,  or  a  relief  from  suspense  regarding  what 
might  have  been  Missouri's  fate,  but  was  founded  on  the 
defeat  of  the  Eastern  slavery  restrictionists.  Missouri 
took  more  delight  in  seeing  her  Eastern  enemies  defeated 
than  in  the  good  obtained  from  her  victory."  The 
people  of  Missouri  also  took  great  pride  in  "  having 
maintained  a  consistent  position  of  independent  statehood 


i36 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Solemn 
Public  Act 
of  the 
General 
Assembly 
of  Missouri 


i.  Provisions 
of  the  Act 


ever  since  the  adoption  of  their  constitution"  in  spite 
of  the  effort  that  had  been  made  to  deny  Missouri  that 
status. 

On  June  4  a  special  session  of  the  legislature  was  con 
vened  at  St.  Charles  and  the  resolution  of  Congress  was 
formally  submitted  to  that  body  by  Governor  McNair. 
He  recommended  that  the  resolution  immediately  be  con 
sidered  and  that  such  legislative  act  as  might  be  required 
by  it  should  be  passed,  "  carefully  avoiding  at  the  same 
time  everything  that  might  impair  our  political  rights  or 
draw  in  question  the  dignity  and  independent  character  of 
the  State." 

There  was  in  the  general  assembly  some  opposition  to 
compliance  with  the  resolution  of  Congress,  but  this  was 
easily  overcome,  and  the  solemn  public  Act  was  duly 
framed  and  approved  on  June  26,  1821.  The  language  of 
this  Act  is  such  as  to  show  very  clearly  that  the  legislature 
knew  it  was  performing  a  farce  and  that,  after  Missouri 
should  have  acquired  admission  into  the  Union,  it  could 
undo  what  it  was  then  doing  and  be  perfectly  safe 
therein.  After  reciting  what  Congress  had  laid  down 
as  a  prerequisite  condition  for  admission,  the  Act  con 
tinues  : 

"Now,  for  as  much  as  the  good  people  of  this  State 
have,  by  the  most  solemn  and  public  act  in  their  power, 
virtually  assented  to  the  said  fundamental  condition, 
when  by  their  representatives  in  full  and  free  convention 
assembled,  they  adopted  the  constitution  of  this  State, 
and  consented  to  be  incorporated  into  the  Federal  Union, 
and  governed  by  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
which  among  other  things  provides  that  the  said  Con 
stitution,  and  the  laws  of  the  United  States  made  in 
pursuance  thereof,  and  all  treaties  made,  or  which  shall  be 
made  under  the  authority  of  the  United  States,  shall 
be  the  supreme  law  of  the  land,  and  the  judges  in  every 
state  shall  be  bound  thereby,  anything  in  the  constitution 
or  law  of  any  state  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding  ;  and 


STRUGGLE  OF  MISSOURI   FOR   STATEHOOD        137 

although  this  general  assembly  are  of  opinion  that  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States  have  no  constitutional 
power  to  annex  any  condition  to  the  admission  of  this 
State  into  the  Federal  Union,  and  that  this  general  as 
sembly  have  no  power  to  change  the  operation  of  the  con 
stitution  of  this  State,  except  in  the  manner  prescribed  by 
the  constitution  itself ;  nevertheless,  as  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States  have  desired  this  general  assembly  to 
declare  the  assent  of  this  State  to  said  fundamental  con 
dition,  and  forasmuch  as  such  declaration  will  neither 
restrain,  nor  enlarge,  limit  or  extend  the  operation  of  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,  or  of  this  State,  but  the 
said  constitution  will  remain  in  all  respects  as  if  the  said 
resolution  had  never  passed,  and  the  desired  declaration 
was  never  made,  and  because  such  declaration  will  not 
divest  any  power  or  change  the  duties  of  any  of  the  con 
stituted  authorities  of  this  State,  or  of  the  United  States, 
nor  impair  the  rights  of  the  people  of  this  State,  or  impose 
any  additional  obligation  upon  them,  but  may  promote 
an  earlier  enjoyment  of  their  vested  federal  rights,  and 
this  State  being  moreover  determined  to  give  to  her  sister 
states,  and  to  the  world,  the  most  unequivocal  proof  of 
her  desire  to  promote  the  peace  and  harmony  of  the 
Union.  Therefore,  Be  it  enacted  and  declared  by  the 
General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Missouri,  and  it  is 
hereby  solemnly  and  publicly  enacted  and  declared,  that 
this  State  has  assented  and  does  assent  that  the 'fourth 
clause  of  the  twenty-sixth  section  of  the  third  article  of 
the  constitution  of  this  State  shall  never  be  construed  to 
authorize  the  passage  of  any  law,  and  that  no  law  shall 
be  passed  in  conformity  thereto,  by  which  any  citizen  of 
the  United  States  shall  be  excluded  from  the  enjoyment 
of  any  of  the  privileges  and  immunities  to  which  such 
citizens  are  entitled  under  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States." 

Although  Missourians  both  in  and  out  of  the  general   2-  Observ- 
assembly  appreciated  the  hollowness  of  the  fundamental  Act  until  1847 


138 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Admission 
of  the  State 
into  the 
Union 


solemn  public  act  condition  which  Congress  imposed, 
and  although  they  realized  that  legally  there  was  no 
binding  force  to  that  act,  it  must  be  said  to  their  credit 
that  they  recognized  its  moral  force  for  more  than  twenty- 
five  years,  and  that  they  did  not  violate  it  until  1847. 
Up  to  that  time  no  law  was  passed  by  the  Missouri 
legislature  which  excluded  free  negroes  and  mulattoes 
from  emigrating  from  any  other  state  to  Missouri. 

On  receiving  an  authentic  copy  of  the  solemn  public 
act  of  the  Missouri  legislature,  President  Monroe  on 
August  1 6,  1821,  issued  the  proclamation  declaring  the 
admission  of  Missouri  into  the  Union  as  the  twenty-fourth 
member  of  the  United  States. 


REFERENCES 

The  material  for  this  chapter  has  been  drawn  largely  from  Shoe 
maker's  Missouri1  s  Struggle  for  Statehood.  This  book  is  a  work  of 
great  scholarship  and  supersedes  everything  else  that  has  ever  been 
written  on  the  subject.  Most  of  the  sources  on  which  it  is  based 
were  brought  to  light  by  the  author  in  his  researches.  He  is  chiefly 
concerned  with  the  views  and  opinions  of  Missourians  during  the 
contest  over  the  question  as  to  whether  Missouri  should  be  admitted 
into  the  Union  or  not,  and  with  the  organization  of  Missouri's 
first  state  government.  He  pays  little  attention  to  the  Congressional 
controversy. 

Territorial  Government — Houck,  History  of  Missouri,  vol.  ii, 
chs.  xxi  and  xxii ;  vol.  iii,  ch.  xxiii.  Shoemaker,  Missouri's  Struggle 
for  Statehood,  ch.  i. 

First  Missouri  Compromise  —  Carr,  History  of  Missouri,  ch.  vii. 
Shoemaker,  chs.  ii,  iii  and  iv.  Houck,  iii,  243-248.  Hodder,  "Side 
Lights  on  the  Missouri  Compromise,"  in  the  Missouri  Historical 
Review  for  April,  1911,  pp.  138-150.  A  brief  treatment  of  the  public 
opinion  in  Missouri  during  the  struggle  for  admission  into  the  Union. 
Hockett,  "Rufus  King  and  the  Missouri  Compromise,"  in  the 
Missouri  Historical  Review ',  April,  1908,  pp.  211-220.  An  estimate 
of  King's  part  in  the  controversy  and  the  motives  that  animated 
him  in  the  matter.  Burgess,  Middle  Period,  pp.  61-95.  A  very  good 
account  of  the  controversy  as  it  was  waged  in  the  halls  of  Congress. 

Missouri's  First  Constitution  —  Shoemaker,  chs.  v-ix  inclusive. 
Shoemaker,  "First  Constitution  of  Missouri,"  in  the  Missouri 
Historical  Review,  January,  1912,  pp.  51-63.  Shoemaker,  "Fathers 


STRUGGLE   OF   MISSOURI   FOR   STATEHOOD         139 

of  the  State,"  in  the  Missouri  Historical  Review,  October,  1915,  pp. 
1-52.  Both  of  these  articles  were  later  published  as  parts  of  the 
author's  book,  to  which  references  have  already  been  given.  Houck, 
ch.  iii,  pp.  248-273. 

Second    Missouri    Compromise — Shoemaker,    chs.    x    and    xi. 
Carr,  ch.  viii.     Burgess,  pp.  95-107. 


GOVERNOR  ALEXANDER  MCNAIR'S  HOUSE 


CHAPTER  VII 


Present 
Banking 
System  in 
Missouri 


Early 

Barter 

System 


EARLY   BANKING   IN   MISSOURI 

[Historical  Setting.  —  Panic  of  1837.  This  chapter  covers  the 
history  of  banking  in  Missouri  from  1813  to  1857  and  presup 
poses  a  general  knowledge  of  the  history  of  the  First  and  the 
Second  Banks  of  the  United  States.] 

THERE  are  in  Missouri  at  present  more  than  1500 
banks  and  trust  companies.1  Excluding  the  two  federal 
banks  in  the  State,  the  capital  stock  of  the  various  banking 
institutions  in  Missouri  is  more  than  ninety-five  million 
dollars,  their  deposits  are  more  than  six  hundred  million 
dollars,  and  their  loans  amount  to  more  than  six  hundred 
fifty  million  dollars.  It  is  a  very  small  village,  indeed, 
that  does  not  have  a  bank  of  some  sort.  All  the  banks 
receive  deposits  and  make  loans,  while  only  the  national 
and  the  federal  reserve  banks  issue  notes  that  circulate  as 
currency.  We  have  become  so  accustomed  to  the  con 
veniences  which  the  banks  afford  that  we  scarcely  realize 
their  great  value.  If,  however,  by  some  means  all  the 
banks  should  be  eliminated  from  our  commercial  system, 
we  should  immediately  come  to  understand  how  vital 
they  are  to  our  prosperity. 

Banking  in  Missouri  is,  however,  just  a  little  more  than 
one  hundred  years  old,  the  first  bank  having  been  estab 
lished  in  St.  Louis  in  1816,  about  fifty  years  after  that 
place  had  been  founded.  Prior  to  1816,  business  in 
Missouri  was  transacted  largely  by  barter,  the  chief 

1  The  banks  and  trust  companies  in  Missouri  at  present  (1918)  are 
enumerated  as  follows  :  14  private  banks,  1309  incorporated  banks,  75 
trust  companies,  132  national  banks,  and  2  federal  reserve  banks. 

140 


EARLY   BANKING  IN  MISSOURI  141 

media  of  exchange  being  furs,  lead,  and  tobacco.1  Farm 
ing  was  the  one  chief  occupation  of  the  people  of  Mis 
souri.  But  as  they  had  no  adequate  means  of  getting 
their  agricultural  products  to  market  readily,  there  was 
a  constant  shortage  of  money,  and  hence  it  was  necessary 
to  resort  to  barter ;  and  to  supplement  their  main  occu 
pation  many  turned  to  other  things,  the  most  important 
of  which  was  the  fur  business.  Some  men  became  traders, 
and  others  were  trappers  and  hunters.  As  a  result,  furs 
were  the  commodity  most  generally  used  in  barter.  "  All 
skins  good  enough  for  trade  were  considered  good  enough 
for  currency,"  deerskins  being  taken  as  the  standard 
because  they  were  abundant  and  most  steady  in  value. 
Skins  used  as  currency  were  carefully  counted  and  tied 
up  in  bundles  and  kept  in  warehouses. 

Furs  and  pelts  were  more  easily  carried  to  distant 
markets  than  grain,  and  it  was  generally  through  the  fur 
trade  that  what  little  money  there  was  in  circulation  in 
Missouri  was  brought  into  the  country.  But  not  every 
cargo  of  furs  sent  to  market  was  disposed  of  for  money. 
Many  a  shipment  of  furs  was  exchanged  for  a  consignment 
of  commodities  most  needed  in  Missouri,  such  as  dry 
goods,  sugar,  coffee,  and  hardware ;  and  sometimes  this 
return  consignment  would  be  months  or  even  years  in 
arriving,  owing  to  the  poor  transportation  facilities  of 
the  time. 

The  Spanish  milled  dollar  was  the  most  common  coin 
in  circulation  in  Missouri,  and  for  small  change  this  dollar 
was  actually  cut  into  halves,  quarters,  and  "  bits  "  or  half- 

1  The  following  typical  advertisement  in  the  Missouri  Gazette 
for  April  26,  1810,  is  illustrative  of  the  system  of  barter  then  in 
vogue:  "The  subscriber  has  just  opened  a  quantity  of  bleached 
country  linen,  cotton  cloth,  cotton  and  wool  cards,  iron,  German 
steel,  smoothing  irons,  ladies'  silk  bonnets,  artificial  flowers,  etc. 
Also  a  handsome  new  gig  with  plated  harness,  cable  and  cordelle 
rope,  with  a  number  of  articles  that  suit  this  country.  He  will 
take  in  payment  fur,  hides,  whisky,  country-made  sugar,  bacon,  and 
beeswax." 


142 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


First  Banks 
a     issoun 


Bank  of 


Missouri 


2.  Collapse 
Banks6 


quarters.  Sometimes  due  bills  were  issued  by  the  fur 
traders  and  were  accepted  as  money  by  people  not  only 
at  home  but  even  at  a  distance. 

With  the  increase  of  population  that  ensued  after  the 
purchase  of  Louisiana,  and  with  the  growth  in  agriculture 
and  commerce,  it  became  more  and  more  necessary  to 
establish  a  better  system  of  currency  in  what  is  now 
Missouri  than  had  formerly  prevailed.  In  addition  to 
the  impossibility  of  doing  business  on  a  large  scale  with 
commodities  as  the  most  common  medium  of  exchange, 
there  was  also  more  or  less  uncertainty  as  to  the  exact 
value  of  these  commodities,  and  there  was  the  constant 
danger  of  the  unscrupulous  making  use  of  inferior  articles 
and  representing  them  as  being  up  to  standard.  Fre 
quent  attempts  were  made  to  prevent  this  form  of  cheat 
ing,  especially  in  furs,  and  regulations  regarding  their 
weight  were  made  from  time  to  time. 

The  necessities  of  the  situation  led  the  territorial  legis- 
lature  to  charter  the  Bank  of  St.  Louis  in  1813,  with  a 
capital  not  to  exceed  $i65,ooo,1  and  in  1817  to  charter  the 
Bank  of  Missouri,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $25o,ooo.2  In 
addition  to  doing  a  regular  banking  business,  such  as 
receiving  deposits  and  making  loans,  both  institutions 
were  authorized  to  issue  notes  that  were  to  circulate  as 
currency,  and  both  were  instrumental  in  stimulating 
business  at  home  and  abroad.  But  neither  of  these  banks 
lasted  very  long.  The  Bank  of  St.  Louis  failed  in  1819, 
owing  to  some  unfortunate  speculation  investments,  and 
the  Bank  of  Missouri  went  the  same  way  in  1822. 

In  fact,  the  period  from  1815  to  1819  was  marked  by  a 
great  amount  of  reckless  speculation  all  over  the  country, 
particularly  in  the  newer  parts.  There  was  a  great  mania 
for  buying  and  selling  property,  especially  land.  Immi 
grants  frequently  bought  much  more  land  than  they  could 

1  This  Bank  of  St.  Louis  was  not  established,  however,  till  1816. 

2  It  is  interesting  to  note  the  prominence  that  the  French  citizens 
of  St.  Louis  had  among  the  stockholders  of  these  two  banks. 


EARLY   BANKING   IN  MISSOURI  143 

hope  to  pay  for,  and  yet  trusted  to  some  turn  of  fortune 
in  their  favor  which  would  enable  them  to  meet  their 
obligations.  They  also  made  large  purchases  from  mer 
chants  on  long-time  credit.  When,  therefore,  the  country 
wide  panic  occurred  in  1819,  much  distress  ensued  in 
Missouri.  Everybody  was  in  debt  and  the  banks  were 
not  able  to  redeem  their  notes.  Merchants  could  not 
get  their  debtors  to  pay  them  in  specie,  and  the  farmers 
got  little  or  nothing  for  their  abundant  crops  and  harvest. 
Although  a  certain  amount  of  relief  was  given  when  the 
United  States  Government  passed  laws  extending  the 
time  of  payment,  and  when  the  State  government  issued 
loan  certificates,  the  panic  was  nevertheless  very  disas 
trous  and  was  responsible  for  the  undoing  of  the  newly 
established  banking  system  of  Missouri. 

It  was  not  till  1829  that  Missouri  had  another  bank.  United 
In  that  year  a  branch  of  the  United  States  Bank  was 
established  in  St.  Louis.  It  had  in  turn  several  branches 
throughout  the  State,  and  it  gave  the  people  a  safer  and 
more  convenient  currency  than  they  had  been  having.  But 
it  was  forced  to  wind  up  its  business  when,  on  account  of 
Jackson's  veto  of  the  bill  to  renew  the  charter  of  the  United 
States  Bank,  the  parent  institution  went  out  of  business 
in  I836.1  The  veto  of  Jackson  produced  considerable 
agitation  in  St.  Louis.  A  very  vigorous  protest  against 
it  was  framed  by  a  meeting  of  representative  citizens 
on  July  24,  1832.  It  should  be  noted,  however,  that 
this  protest  did  not  represent  the  views  of  everybody 
in  St.  Louis,  for  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day  another 
group  held  a  meeting  in  that  city  and  expressed  their 
decided  approval  of  Jackson's  procedure. 

But  St.  Louis  had  become  a  city  of  6000  people  by  1836,  Bank  of  the 
and  steamboats  were  plying  between  it  and  New  Orleans, 
Louisville,  Cincinnati,  Pittsburgh,  and  Galena.     It  was 
therefore    impossible,   under    these   conditions,    for   the 

1  It  is  rather  significant  that  the  bank  closed  its  business  with 
a  loss  of  only  $125. 


144  HISTORY   OF  MISSOURI 

i.  Need  for  city  to  go  on  without  good  banking  facilities.  The 
Cincinnati  Commercial  Agency  established  a  branch  in 
St.  Louis  in  1836,  but  this  was  soon  found  insufficient  for 
the  needs  of  the  community.  Moreover,  the  State  was 
flooded  at  this  time  with  paper  money  from  the  banks  of 
other  states,  which  was  popularly  called  "shinplasters," 
" wildcat  "  currency,  or  "dog"  currency.1  This  paper 
money  was  issued  by  the  various  banks  on  the  suppo 
sition  that  they  would  redeem  it  in  specie  on  demand. 
But,  as  is  generally  known,  most  of  these  banks  were 
more  or  less  unsound  and  their  notes  were  therefore 
more  or  less  valuable.  Because  of  the  uncertainty  in 
value  of  this  paper  currency  that  was  circulating  in 
Missouri,  the  Mexican  silver  coins  which  were  being 
brought  into  the  State  through  the  Sante  Fe  trade  2  were 
being  driven  out,  as  always  happens  when  cheap  money 
begins  to  circulate  in  a  community.  Missouri  was  the 
only  state  in  the  Union  at  that  time  that  did  not  have 
one  or  more  banks  of  issue,  and  yet  because  of  the  wide 
circulation  of  the  paper  money  issued  by  the  more  or  less 
unsound  banks  of  other  states,  Missouri  was  suffering 
from  "all  the  evils  of  banking  with  none  of  its  advan 
tages."  In  order,  therefore,  to  facilitate  commerce  and 
give  it  a  chance  to  develop,  and  further  to  thwart  the 
evils  of  wildcat  currency,  and  to  aid  specie  circulation  in 
the  State,  men  began  in  1836  to  demand  that  the  legis 
lature  —  acting  upon  the  authority  which  the  constitu 
tion  of  the  State  had  conferred  upon  it  —  should  charter 
a  bank. 
2.  Chartered  Fortunately  for  Missouri,  the  constitutional  convcn- 

ky  f*f  tion  of  1820  had  been  very  conservative  in  making  pro- 

Legislature,  .      J 

1837  visions  for  a  bank.     This  was  probably  due  to  the  country 

wide  panic  of  1819.     At  any  rate,  the  convention  inserted 

1  This  paper  currency  was  called  "white  dog,"  "red  dog,"  "blue 
dog,"  or  "blue  pup,"  according  to  the  color  of  the  paper  that  was 
used. 

2  For  details  concerning  this  trade,  see  Chapter  IX, 


EARLY  BANKING   IN   MISSOURI  145 

in  the  constitution  an  article  on  banking  which  gave  the 
legislature  authority  to  incorporate  only  one  banking 
company  in  the  State,  with  not  more  than  five  branches. 
The  capital  stock  was  not  to  exceed  five  million  dollars, 
one  half  of  which  was  to  be  reserved  for  the  use  of  the 
State.  Attempts  were  made  at  the  first  session  of  the 
State  legislature  in  1820,  and  also  at  the  next  session, 
to  get  a  bill  passed  which  would  provide  for  a  bank  under 
this  constitutional  provision,  but  these  efforts  failed,  and 
it  was  not  until  1837  that  the  legislature  took  advantage 
of  the  authority  which  the  constitution  had  conferred  upon 
it  to  authorize  the  opening  of  a  State  bank.1  The  bill 
providing  for  the  bank  went  through  the  legislature  within 
thirty  days  after  it  was  introduced,  and  the  stock  was  all 
subscribed  for  within  two  months  after  it  had  been  placed 
on  sale,  thus  revealing  that  people  had  complete  con 
fidence  in  the  bank.2 

The  management  of  this  bank  thus  created  in  1837  3-  Manage- 
was  in  the  hands  of  a  president  and  twelve  directors,  of 
whom  the  president  and  six  directors  were  to  be  elected 
by  the  legislature  every  two  years.  In  addition  to  the 
semi-annual  statements  which  the  bank  had  to  make  to 
the  government,  there  were  ample  provisions  for  its 
periodical  examination.  The  bank  could  not  issue  notes 
of  less  than  $10  in  value,  and  whenever  it  should  cease 
to  redeem  its  notes  in  specie  it  was  to  go  at  once  into 
the  hands  of  a  receiver.  The  charter  was  to  run  until 
1857,  but  no  longer. 

At  the  same  time  that  the  legislature  authorized  the 
creation  of  a  bank,  it  passed  another  law  expelling  all  the 

1  Missouri  went   through   the  panic  of    1837,   which   had    been 
brought  on  largely  by  the  winding  up  of  the  affairs  of  the  United 
States  Bank,  much  better  than  most  states.     Probably  this  had 
something  to  do  with  influencing    the   legislature    to  charter  the 
Bank  of  the  State  of  Missouri  that  year. 

2  It  took  two  years  to  sell  enough  of  the  stock  of  the  old  Bank 
of  St.  Louis  to  get  it  opened. 


146 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


4.  Effects  of 
the  Panic  of 
1837  on  the 
Bank 


foreign  banking  agencies  in  the  State  and  prohibiting  any 
other  from  entering.  The  Cincinnati  Commercial  Agency 
thereupon  withdrew  from  the  State  and  turned  over  its 
business  to  the  newly  created  bank. 

The  Bank  of  the  State  of  Missouri  proved  to  be  a  thriv 
ing  and  beneficial  institution  from  the  start.  Its  notes 
were  accepted  as  good  as  gold  everywhere,  and  in  some 
places  they  were  considered  even  better  than  gold.  It 
was  put  to  a  very  severe  test  within  two  years  of  its 
establishment.  On  October  8,  1837,  the  banks  of  Phila 
delphia  suspended  specie  payment  and  in  a  short  time  all 
the  banks  of  the  South  and  West,  except  the  one  in 
Missouri,  did  likewise.  The  directors  of  the  Bank  of  the 
State  of  Missouri  met  and  ordered  that  as  far  as  bank 
notes  were  concerned  they  would  in  future  pay  out  and 
receive  only  the  notes  of  those  institutions  that  were 
specie  paying.  This  order  produced  much  excitement  in 
St.  Louis l  and  throughout  the  State.  There  was  in 
circulation  in  Missouri  a  great  deal  of  currency  issued  by 
banks  that  had  suspended  specie  payment.  If  such 
currency  was  refused  by  the  Bank  of  the  State  of  Mis 
souri,  that  meant  a  further  depreciation  in  its  current 
value.  Several  wealthy  men  offered  to  bind  themselves 
to  stand  good  for  any  losses  that  the  bank  might  sustain 
in  taking  the  notes  of  those  institutions  that  had  sus 
pended  specie  payment,  but  the  directors  declined  to 

1  The  Missouri  Republican  said:  "The  bank  excitement  con 
tinued  very  high  yesterday.  In  fact,  it  is  the  only  subject  matter 
of  conversation  or  consideration.  The  inhabitants,  it  might  liter 
ally  be  said,  have  forsaken  their  counting  rooms  and  the  mechanics 
their  shops.  Wherever  two  or  three  met,  the  action  of  the  bank 
was  a  theme  of  conversation,  and  in  every  circle  that  we  have  fallen 
in  with,  whatever  might  be  the  politics  of  those  composing  it,  the 
resolution  of  the  directors  was  condemned  without  measure  or 
reserve.  In  truth,  there  never  has  been  in  the  country  so  universal 
and  unanimous  a  condemnation  of  any  measure  as  this.  Execra 
tions  loud  and  deep  are  freely  uttered  in  every  quarter  and  by  men 
of  all  parties." 


EARLY   BANKING   IN   MISSOURI  147 

accept  their  offer  or  to  modify  their  order.  Many  people 
thereupon  withdrew  their  deposits  from  the  bank  and 
put  them  with  the  insurance  companies  that  were  doing  a 
kind  of  banking  business  in  the  city. 

Under  these  circumstances  efforts  were  made  to  get  the  5.  Laws 
legislature  to  do  something  toward  driving  out  the  wildcat  ^f*™f the 
currency  that  was  flooding  the  State.     In  1838  a  bill  levy-   "Wildcat" 
ing  very  heavy  penalties  against  any  one  who  should  pass  Currency 
or  receive  any  banknotes  of  less  than  $20,   other   than 
those  of  the  Bank  of  the  State  of  Missouri,  was  introduced 
into  the  legislature,  but  it  failed  of  passage.     The  bill  was 
introduced  again  in  1840  with  the   same   result.     How 
ever,   in    1842,    two   bills   were   passed   against   the  use 
of  such  currency,  but  the   penalties   for   using   it   were 
assessed  only  against  corporations,  money  lenders,   and 
exchange  brokers.     There  was  too  much  of  this  form  of 
money  in  the  hands  of  people  to  shut  them  out  from  using 
it  altogether,  but  the  circulation   was   considerably   re 
stricted  by  the  fining  of  the  corporations,  money  lenders, 
and  exchange  brokers  if  they   undertook   to   make  use 
of  it.1 

But  during  the  forties  and  fifties  the  need  for  greater  Banking 
and  better  banking  facilities  in  Missouri  grew  very  rapidly.   Law  of  l857 
The  State  was  not  only  developing  her  own  resources,  but  Mo 
the  regions  lying  to  the  west  as  far  as   the   coast   were  of  issue 
going  through  the  pioneer  stage  during  this  period,  and 
they  depended  very  largely  upon  Missouri  as  the  center  of 
most  of  their  trade.     These  conditions  not  only  demanded 
greater  facilities   for  depositing  money   for   safekeeping 
and  for  making  loans  and  effecting  exchange,  but  also 
demanded  some  sort  of  means  for  increasing  the  volume 
of  currency.     The  Bank  of  the  State  of  Missouri  was  for 
ten  years  the  only  bank  of  any  sort  in  the  State,  but  in 

1  By  the  time  this  law  was  passed  the  Bank  of  the  State  of 
Missouri  had  rescinded  its  action  of  1839  and  had  decided  to  re 
ceive  and  pay  out  the  paper  of  other  banks  at  its  current  value, 
whether  those  banks  had  suspended  specie  payment  or  not. 


148 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Constitu 
tional 
Amendment 


3.  Creation 
of  New 
Banks 


1847  "the  Boatmen's  Saving  Institution  was  established 
in  St.  Louis.1  This  was  a  purely  savings  institution  and 
had  no  right  to  issue  bank  bills.  Several  other  private 
banks  were  established  in  the  State,  in  the  decade  after 
1847,  merely  to  accommodate  the  people  by  receiving 
their  money  on  deposit  and  by  making  loans  to  them. 
The  only  institution  in  Missouri  that  could  issue  bills 
between  1837  and  1857  was  the  Bank  of  the  State  of 
Missouri. 

From  this  it  may  readily  be  seen  that  Missouri's  greatest 
need  was  to  increase  the  number  of  banks  that  could  issue 
paper  currency  on  a  safe  and  sound  basis.  But  a  con 
stitutional  provision  which  limited  the  authority  of  the 
legislature  to  the  chartering  of  only  one  bank  and  no 
more  stood  in  the  way.  This  obstacle  was  removed  in 
1857,  when  the  constitution  of  the  State  was  amended  so 
as  to  authorize  additional  banks  of  issue.2  But,  true  to  the 
conservative  spirit  that  has  always  marked  Missourians, 
the  amendment  limited  the  number  of  parent  banks  to 
ten,  and  provided  that  their  capital  should  never  exceed 
$20,000,000,  and  that  the  notes  issued  on  the  basis  of  $2 
in  currency  to  $i  of  paid-up  capital  should  always  be  re 
deemable  on  demand. 

Under  this  constitutional  authority  the  legislature 
authorized  six  parent  banks  in  St.  Louis  (Merchants, 
Mechanics,  Southern,  Exchange,  Union,  and  Bank  of 
St.  Louis)  and  one  in  Lexington  (Farmers),  and  made 
them  subject  to  close  and  rigid  inspection.  The  notes 
of  these  banks  went  into  circulation  and  immediately 

1  This  bank  still  exists  in  St.  Louis  under  the  name  of  Boatmen's 
Bank. 

2  In   1852  a  committee  of  the  legislature   examined   the   condi 
tion  of  the  Bank  of  the  State  of  Missouri  and  its   eight   branches. 
They  found  that  its  assets  were  nearly  $4,000,000  and  that  the 
outstanding    circulation    of    notes    was    nearly    $1,500,000.     The 
thriving  condition  of  the  bank  was  very  reassuring  and  no  doubt 
had  much  to  do  with  the  passing  of  the  constitutional  amendment 
of  1857  authorizing  more  than  one  State  bank. 


EARLY   BANKING  IN  MISSOURI  149 

expelled  all  the  "wildcat"  and  "dog"  currency  then 
in  use  in  the  State.  They  remained  in  circulation  until 
the  National  Bank  Law  of  1864,  which  levied  a  tax 
of  ten  per  cent  on  the  notes  of  state  banks,  went  into 
effect  and  forced  these  notes  to  be  withdrawn.  All  of 
the  six  banks  of  St.  Louis  that  had  been  authorized  under 
the  law  of  1857  were,  in  the  course  of  time,  transformed 
into  National  banks. 

The  new  banking  law  of  1857  went  into  operation  under  4-  Effects  of 
decidedly  adverse  auspices.  Another  panic  broke  out  ofel85^mc 
in  that  year  as  the  result  of  the  failure  of  the  Ohio  Life 
and  Trust  Company  of  Cincinnati.  This  failure  forced 
the  banks  throughout  the  country,  including  those  of 
Missouri,  to  suspend  specie  payment.  The  banks  in 
Missouri  did  not  have  time  to  recover  from  the  ill  effects 
of  this  panic  before  the  Civil  War  came  on,  and  it  was  not 
till  after  the  close  of  the  war  that  specie  payment  was 
resumed  by  them.  The  legislature  very  wisely  refused 
to  demand  the  forfeiture  of  their  charters  as  the  consti 
tution  provided  should  be  done  if  they  suspended  specie 
payment,  but  allowed  them  to  continue  to  exist.  As 
a  result  of  this  action,  these  banks  weathered  the  storm 
and  have  all  continued  down  to  this  day. 

Before  the  law  of  1857  was  passed,  private  banks  had  Private 
been  established  in  St.  Joseph  and  in  Kansas  City.     In  gf^Veph 
1856  the  first  bank  of  Kansas  City  was  established  by  and  Kansas 
Northrup  and  Chick.     At  that  time  Kansas  City  was  an  Clty 
insignificant  place,  and  the  people  in  that   part  of  the 
State  had  been  accustomed  to  do  their  banking  at  Lexing 
ton  or  Liberty  or  Independence.     In  1852  the  first  bank 
was  established  in  St.  Joseph  by  Armstrong  Beattie.     At 
that  time  the  place  was  only  nine  years  old. 

In  concluding  this  chapter  on  early  banking  in  Missouri,   End  of  the 
a  word  or  two  should  be  said  about  the  later  history  of  °ffthe 


the  Bank  of  the  State  of  Missouri,  which  had  been  or-   Missouri 
ganized  in  1837.     It  underwent  an  important  change  in 
1866,  when  the  State  sold  its  shares  of  stock  to  a  number 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


of  men,  and  the  bank  was  transformed  into  a  National 
bank  with  eight  different  branches.  It  did  not  prosper, 
however,  and  wound  up  its  affairs  in  1876,  going  out  of 
business  entirely. 

It  is  evident,  from  what  has  been  said,  that  Missouri 
was  decidedly  fortunate  as  regards  banks  and  banking. 
Thanks  to  Missouri  conservatism,  the  greatest  safe 
guards  were  thrown  around  banking  in  the  State,  and 
as  a  result  Missouri  banks  were  never  classed  as  "  wild 
cat"  institutions.  In  this  respect  Missouri  stands  alone 
among  the  states  of  the  Union. 

REFERENCES 

Knox,  History  of  Banking  in  the  United  States,  pp.  779-793.  The 
first  part  of  this  book  deals  with  the  history  of  national  banking ; 
the  second  part  with  the  history  of  banking  in  the  different  states. 
The  reference  given  above  is  devoted  to  the  history  of  banking  in 
Missouri  from  earliest  times  to  about  1900.  Encyclopedia  of  Mis 
souri  History,  vol.  i,  pp.  1 16-132.  A  series  of  short  articles  on  banking 
in  Missouri  in  early  days  and  in  the  principal  cities  of  the  State  in 
later  days. 


OLD  PONTOON  BRIDGE  AT  ST.  CHARLES 


CHAPTER    VIII  » 

EXPEDITIONS   OF  KEARNY  AND   DONIPHAN 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  War  between  the  United  States  and 
Mexico,  1846-48.] 

THE  war  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico  in  1846-  interest  of 
48  was  very  popular  in  Missouri.     This  was  due  to  the  ^Cl^1^n 
great  interest  that  Missourians  took  in  the  question  of  nexation  of 
the  annexation  of  Texas,  which  was  the  primary  cause  of  Texas 
the  war.     It  is  not  the  intention  here  to  go  into  the  details 
of  the  revolt  of  Texas  from  Mexico  in  1836,  or  of  her  an 
nexation  to  the  United  States  in  1845.     But  it  must  be 
noted  that  the  question  of  the  annexation  of  Texas  was 
the  chief  issue  in  the  Presidential  campaign  of  1844,  and 
that  the  people  of  Missouri  gave  Polk,  the  Democratic 
candidate,  who  had  come  out  squarely  in  favor  of  annexa 
tion,  a  very  decided  majority  as  against  Clay,  the  Whig 
candidate,  who  did  not  commit  himself  unreservedly  in 
the  matter. 

Two  reasons,  at  least,  may  be  assigned  as  to  why  Mis-   i.  Belief  in 
sourians  were  interested  in  the  annexation  of  Texas  to  the 


United  States  :  first,  their  belief  in  the  "manifest  destiny" 
of  the  country  to  incorporate  ultimately  all  the  territory 
adjoining  her  borders,  especially  that  on  the  west  ;   second, 
the  close  blood  relationship  between  the  people  of  Missouri   2.  Blood 
and  of  Texas.     Shortly  after  the  revolt  of  Mexico  from  j^^  "he 
Spain  in  the  early  twenties,  Missourians  began  to  migrate   People  of 
to  Texas,  and  by  the  time  Texas  had  begun  her  war  of  JJj  Texas 
independence  against  Mexico  in  1835,  there  were  a  goodly 
number  of  Missouri  colonists  in  Texas.     Moreover,  the 
struggle  against  Mexico  induced  a  great  many  Missou 

ri 


152 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.  No  In 
terest  in 
the  Exten 
sion  of  Slave 
Territory 


First 

Volunteers 
for  the 
Mexican 
War 


rians  to  join  their  fortunes  with  the  Texans,  so  that  it  is 
safe  "to  assert  that  between  1822  and  1836  there  were  few 
prominent  Missouri  families  that  were  not  at  some  time 
represented  in  the  life  of  the  new  state. ' '  Naturally,  then, 
Missourians  were  interested  in  having  Texas  annexed 
to  the  Union,  and  were  willing  to  engage  in  war  to  see 
that  end  accomplished. 

It  has  been  asserted  that  Missourians  desired  the  an 
nexation  of  Texas  as  a  means  of  extending  slave  territory, 
but  that  can  hardly  be  assigned  as  a  leading  motive  with 
them.  "Certainly  as  far  as  the  people  of  Missouri  were 
concerned,  the  extension  of  the  slave  area  was  so  little 
thought  of  at  this  time  that  but  for  the  prominence  given 
to  it  by  the  opponents  of  annexation,  it  would  not  have 
entered  into  their  calculations."  And  the  Missourians 
were  very  careful  to  let  it  be  known  that  they  were  not  for 
annexation  because  of  their  interest  in  the  expansion  of 
slave  territory.  This  is  seen  in  the  resolution  adopted  by 
the  legislature  in  1844,  in  which  it  was  declared  that  the 
existence  of  slavery  "ought  to  be  left  to  the  people  who 
now,  or  may  hereafter,  occupy  the  territory  that  may  be 
annexed."  At  the  same  time  it  was  declared  that  they 
deemed  the  annexation  of  Texas  so  essential  to  the  interest 
of  the  State  and  of  the  United  States  "that,  rather  than 
fail  in  the  consummation  of  this  object,  they  will  consent 
to  such  just  and  reasonable  compromises  as  may  be  in 
dispensably  necessary  to  secure  the  accompaniment  of 
the  measure,  and  preserve  the  peace  and  harmony  of  the 
Union." 

On  hearing  of  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  between  the 
United  States  and  Mexico  in  the  region  between  the  Rio 
Grande  and  Nueces  rivers  in  April,  1846,  Missourians 
began  to  get  themselves  ready  to  take  part  in  the  war,  and 
when  a  call  came  from  General  Gaines,  who  was  in  com 
mand  of  the  military  department  of  New  Orleans,  for 
volunteers  to  go  to  the  assistance  of  General  Taylor  on  the 
border  between  Texas  and  Mexico,  a  regiment  of  650  men 


EXPEDITIONS  OF   KEARNY  AND   DONIPHAN       153 

was  quickly  raised  in  Missouri  and  started  down  the 
Mississippi  on  its  way  to  the  seat  of  war.  But  these  men 
were  destined  never  to  see  any  actual  service,  for  General 
Games'  action  was  disavowed  at  Washington,  and  all 
the  troops  that  came  at  his  call  from  Missouri  and  other 
states  were  discharged  and  sent  home  at  the  end  of  three 
months. 

But  if  the  Missouri  troops  that  had  gone  south  at  the  call   Preparation 
of  General  Gaines  were  disappointed  in  being  sent  back,   ^ntaFe 
an  opportunity  meanwhile  was  offered  Missourians  for   Expedition 
service  in  another  direction.     Congress  passed  an  Act  in 
May,  1846,  authorizing  the  President  to  call  into  the  field 
50,000  volunteers,  who  were  designed  to  operate  against 
Mexico  at  three  points.     Taylor  was  to  penetrate  directly 
into  the  heart  of  the  country  with  the  Army  of  the  South  ; 
Wool  was  to  operate  against  Chihuahua  with  the  Army 
of  the  Center ;   and  Kearny  was  to  march  from  Santa  Fe 
with  the  Army  of  the  West.     This  plan  of  operation  was 
subsequently  modified,  especially  as  to  the  movements  of 
the  Southern  and  Central  armies.     But  inasmuch  as  the 
Army  of  the  West  was  made  up  largely  of  Missourians, 
we  shall  confine  our  attention  here  to  its  movements. 

There  were  two  very  pertinent  reasons  why  our  Govern-  i.  Reasons 
ment  sent  an  expedition  against  Santa  Fe.  First,  Santa  Fe 
was  the  terminus  of  the  trail  along  which  a  large  part  of 
the  commerce  between  the  western  portion  of  the  United 
States  and  Mexico  had  been  passing  for  twenty  years  or 
more.  In  the  succeeding  chapter  this  matter  will  be 
dealt  with  fully.  Second,  it  was  the  political  capital  of  the 
Mexican  province  of  New  Mexico.1  For  economic  and 
political  reasons,  therefore,  it  was  good  policy  for  our 
Government  to  send  an  expedition  to  Santa  Fe  after  war 
against  Mexico  had  been  decided  upon. 

1  New  Mexico  was  a  vast  stretch  of  country  about  200,000  square 
miles  in  area  on  either  side  of  the  Upper  Rio  Grande.  It  had  a 
population  of  160,000  people,  one  third  of  whom  were  the  Pueblo 
Indians.  Santa  Fe  had  a  population  of  about  6000. 


154 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


2.  Gathering       About  the  middle  of  May,  1846,  Governor  Edwards  of 

at  FortPS        Missouri  issued  a  call  for  volunteers  to  join  the  expedition . 

Leavenworth  to  Santa  Fe.     The  volunteers  were  to  gather  at  Fort 

Leavenworth  and   the  expedition  was  to  be  conducted 

by  Colonel  Stephen  W.   Kearny  of  the  First  Dragoons 

of  the  United  States  Army.     In   response   to   this   call 

eight  mounted  companies  were  formed  in  eight  different 

counties  of  the  State  (Jackson,   Lafayette,   Clay,  Saline, 

Franklin,  Cole,  Howard,  and 
Callaway),  with  a  total  en 
listment  of  856,  and  in  addi 
tion  there  were  formed  a 
battalion  of  light  artillery 
of  two  companies  from  St. 
Louis,  numbering  250  men, 
and  a  battalion  of  infantry 
from  the  counties  of  Cole 
and  Platte,  composed  of  145 
men.  Besides  these  volun 
teer  contingents  there  were 
the  First  Dragoons  of  the 
regular  United  States  Army, 
numbering  300,  and  the 

From  Stevens'  Missouri,  the  Center  Laclede  Rangers  from  St. 
State,  by  permission  of  the  Missouri  T 

Historicai  Society.  Louis,  numbering  107,  who 

were  attached  to  the  Dra 
goons.  There  were  in  all  1658  men  under  the  immediate 
command  of  Colonel  Kearny,  all  of  whom,  except  the  300 
Dragoons,  were  Missourians.  Kearny,  himself,  was  a 
citizen  of  Missouri. 

Before  starting  out  for  Santa  Fe  the  eight  companies 
which  composed  the  First  Regiment  of  Missouri  Mounted 
Volunteers  elected  Alexander  William  Doniphan  of  Clay 
County  as  their  colonel,  with  the  understanding  that  if 
Colonel  Kearny  should  die  or  become  disabled,  Doniphan 
should  succeed  to  the  command  of  the  entire  expedition. 

On  the  26th  day  of  June,  1846,  the  main  body  of  this 


COLONEL  STEPHEN  W.  KEARNY 


3.  Election 
of  Doniphan 
as  Colonel 


EXPEDITIONS  OF  KEARNY  AND   DONIPHAN       155 


Army  of  the  West  set  out  from  Fort  Leavenworth  for  March  to 
Santa  Fe,  about  100  wagons  loaded  with  provisions  for  the  Santa  F< 
troops  having  been  sent  on  in  advance.     The  progress 
was  very  slow  until  the  Santa  Fe  trail  was  reached,  about 
65  miles  west  of  Independence,  the  starting  point  of  the 


OREGON  __ 

'BOUNDARY  OF  UNIT~E~D 


JOV/A 


h  <-> 

^ 


X  X  X  X  X  faARNY'S  ROUTE 


Difficul- 


KEARNY  AND  DONIPHAN'S  EXPEDITION,  1846-47 

trail.     This  slowness  was  due  to  the  fact  that  "there  was 

no  road  or  even  a  path  leading  from  Fort  Leavenworth 

into  the  regular  Santa  Fe  trail."     Traveling  was  therefore  tiesof  the 

a  very  difficult  thing.     Deep  ravines  and  creeks  with  steep 

banks,  tall  grass  and  soft  ground  were  some  of  the  things 

encountered  by  the  troops.     Most  of  their  time  was  spent 


March 


156  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

in  making  roads  and  constructing  temporary  bridges. 
The  trail  was  finally  reached  early  in  July,  and  thereafter 
progress  became  somewhat  more  rapid.  On  August  18 
Santa  Fe  was  reached,  Colonel  Kearny's  army  having 
made  the  march  of  about  900  miles  in  less  than  fifty  days. 

The  advance  of  the  troops  along  the  trail  was  not  made, 
however,  without  considerable  'difficulty  and  many  hard 
ships.  The  heat  at  times  was  very  oppressive,  especially 
in  crossing  what  was  known  as  the  Great  American  Desert, 
and  the  men  and  their  horses  frequently  suffered  from  very 
great  thirst.  They  were  also  very  much  annoyed  by 
gnats  and  mosquitoes  during  part  of  the  march,  and  while 
they  were  passing  through  the  desert  the  wind-driven 
sand  ''filled  their  eyes  and  nostrils  and  mouths  almost  to 
suffocation,"  besides  making  marching  exceedingly  dif 
ficult.  Swollen  streams  had  to  be  bridged  and  underbrush 
cut  away.  There  was  always  more  or  less  danger  from 
wolves  and  Indians.  During  the  last  third  of  the  march 
the  rations  were  cut  down  first  to  one  half  and  later  to 
one  third  of  the  normal  amount,  so  that  the  men  suffered 
greatly  from  hunger.  Many  men  and  horses  died  along 
the  way. 

2.  Entry  into  When  the  Mexican  governor  heard  of  the  approach  of 
Santa  Fe  Kearny's  army,  he  assembled  his  troops,  amounting,  to 
7000  men  —  2000  of  whom  were  well  armed  —  at  a  pass 
fifteen  miles  from  Santa  Fe,  with  the  intention  of  giving 
battle.  But  when  Kearny  came  up  to  the  pass,  he  found 
that  the  Mexican  force  had  completely  disappeared.  It 
is  said  that  a  dispute  had  arisen  among  the  Mexican  generals 
as  to  who  should  have  the  supreme  command,  and  that  the 
soldiers  had  seized  the  opportunity  to  desert.  However 
that  may  have  been,  Kearny  with  less  than  2000  Americans 
was  able  to  march  to  Santa  Fe  and  enter  it  unopposed, 
and  to  take  "peaceable  and  undisputed  possession  of  the 
country  without  the  loss  of  a  single  man  or  the  shedding 
of  one  drop  of  blood  in  the  name  of  the  United  States." 
On  the  day  after  he  took  possession  of  Santa  Fe,  Kearny 


EXPEDITIONS  OF   KEARNY  AND   DONIPHAN       157 

issued  a  proclamation  whereby  he  annexed  the  province  3-  Kearny's 
of  New  Mexico  to  the  United  States  as  the  territory  of  New  ^nnexhlf0" 
Mexico.     He  then  committed  to  Colonel  Doniphan  and  New  Mexico 
Willard  P.  Hall,  another  Missourian  and  a  private  in  one 
of  the  companies,  the  task  of  drafting  a  constitution  and  a 
body  of  laws  to  govern  the  newly  acquired  territory,  and 
on   receiving  the  draft  from  them  he  ordered  it  to  be 
proclaimed  and  enforced.1     Furthermore,    he  appointed 
Charles  Bent  of  Bent's  Fort,2  another  Missourian,  to  be 
governor  of  the  territory. 

There  is  considerable  doubt  as  to  whether  Kearny  had 
any  authority  to  do  all  these  things.  In  fact  President 
Polk,  in  a  communication  to  Congress  regarding  this 
expedition,  speaks  of  "the  exercise  of  an  excess  of  power" 
on  the  part  of  Kearny,  but  justifies  it  on  the  ground  that 
it  was  "the  offspring  of  a  patriotic  desire  to  give  the  in 
habitants  the  privileges  and  immunities  so  cherished  by  the 
people  of  our  own  country."  Notwithstanding  the  lack 
of  authority  for  these  acts  by  Kearny,  they  were  not 
repudiated. 

About  a  month  after  his  arrival  at  Santa  Fe,  Kearny  Kearny's 
set  out  for  California  with  his  300  dragoons  to  cooperate 
with  other  forces  that  the  United  States  Government  was 
sending  to  that  region  for  the  purpose  of  effecting  its 
conquest.  We  are  not  concerned  here  with  the  history  of 
this  California  expedition,  and  shall  have  nothing  further 
to  say  about  it,  except  that  Kearny  reached  San  Diego 
early  in  December  and  was  very  successful  in  his  opera 
tions  in  what  is  now  southern  California. 

On  September  28,  three  days  after  Kearny's  departure 
from  Santa  Fe  for  California,  Colonel  Sterling  Price  arrived 

1  The  constitution  and  the  laws  of  the  new  territory  of  New 
Mexico  were  compiled  largely  from  those  of  Missouri  and  Texas. 

2  Bent's  Fort  was  situated  on  the  Arkansas  River  in  what  is  now 
southeastern    Colorado,    not    very    far    from    La    Junta.     Kearny 
rested  his  men  near  this  fort  for  three  days  while  advancing  on 
Santa  F6. 


158 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Price's  Ex 
pedition  to 
Santa  Fe 


Doniphan's 
Expedition 
against  the 
Navajos 


in  Santa  Fe  with  the  Second  Missouri  Mounted  Volunteers 
that  had  been  raised  by  the  order  of  the  President  as  a 
reenforcement  to  Kearny.  About  1200  men  from  Boone, 
Benton,  Carroll,  Chariton,  Linn,  Livingston,  Monroe, 
Randolph,  Ste.  Genevieve,  and  St.  Louis  counties  vol 
unteered  their  services  and  gathered  at  Fort  Leavenworth, 
from  which  place  they  set  out  for  Santa  Fe  between  the 
first  and  the  tenth  of  August.1  Price  was  a  member  of 
Congress  from  Missouri  when  the  war  broke  out,  but  he 
resigned  shortly  afterward  and  was  appointed  by  the 
President  to  take  command  of  these  reinforcements.2 

Price,  as  has  been  said,  reached  Santa  Fe  in  the  latter 
part  of  September,  having  been  a  little  more  than  fifty 
days  in  making  the  journey.  His  arrival  made  it  possible 
for  Doniphan,  who  had  been  left  in  charge  of  affairs  at 
Santa  Fe  after  the  departure  of  Kearny  for  California,  to 
move  to  Chihuahua  and  there  join  General  Wool,  who  was 
supposed  to  have  been  moving  to  that  point  from  some 
place  in  Texas.  But  before  Doniphan  could  get  ready 
to  go  to  Chihuahua,  an  order  was  sent  back  to  him 
from  Kearny  to  march  against  the  Navajos,  who  had  been 
committing  a  great  many  outrages,  and  who  had  refused  to 
come  in  and  acknowledge  the  United  States  Government. 

1  At  about  this  time  Captain  Allen  of  the  First  Dragoons  suc 
ceeded  in  organizing  among  the  Mormons  then  living  in  and  around 
Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  a  force  of  500  men,  all  volunteer  infantry, 
for  service  in  California.     This  force  was  brought  to  Fort  Leaven- 
worth  and  set  out  on  its  journey  to  California,  following  Price  as 
far  as  Santa  Fe. 

2  Immediately  after  Price  left  Fort  Leavenworth  for  Santa  Fe, 
another  requisition  was  made  on  the  government  of    Missouri  for 
1000  additional  volunteers  to  join  Kearny  in  New  Mexico.      This 
new  force,  which  was  to  be  called  the  Third  Regiment  of  Missouri 
Volunteers,  was  to  be  all  infantry  and  was  to  gather  at  Fort  Leaven 
worth  as  the  other  regiments  had  done.     The  requisite  number  was 
soon  brought  together  and  Major  Daugherty  of  Clay  County  was 
elected  colonel  of  the  regiment.     But,   greatly   to  the  disappoint 
ment  of  these  volunteers,  they  were  shortly  ordered  to  disband  and 
return  to  their  homes.     There  seemed  to  be  no  need  for  them. 


EXPEDITIONS  OF  KEARNY  AND   DONIPHAN       159 


the  Men 


The  Navajos  were  a  very  warlike  people,  perhaps  the 
most  martial  of  all  the  Indians  of  the  southwestern 
country,  and  out  of  their  population  of  about  12,000 
they  were  able  to  muster  1500  warriors.  They  ranged 
over  the  country  lying  between  the  Rio  Grande  and  the 
Colorado  rivers,  most  of  which  was  very  mountainous 
and  rugged. 

As  winter  was  rapidly  coming  on  and  as  the  mountains  i.  Severe 
would  soon  become  impassable  on  account  of  the  heavy  * 
snows,  Doniphan  decided 
to  carry  out  Kearny's 
order  at  once.  He  there 
fore  divided  his  command 
into  three  sections  and 
ordered  them  to  advance 
into  the  heart  of  the 
Navajo  country  along 
three  different  routes. 
Major  Gilpin  was  in 
charge  of  one  part,  Lieu 
tenant  Colonel  Jackson  of 
another,  and  Colonel  Doni 
phan  of  the  third.  The 
orders  were  to  chastise  the 
Navajos  wherever  they 
appeared  hostile,  and  to 
take  their  chiefs  as  hos 
tages  where  they  appeared 

to  be  peaceably  inclined.  With  that  done,  the  three 
sections  were  to  join  their  forces  at  Bear  Springs. 

The  advance  of  these  different  divisions  was  accom 
plished  under  very  great  difficulty.  The  troops  were  not 
properly  equipped  for  an  expedition  into  a  mountainous 
country  at  that  season  of  the  year,  and  they  were  forced 
to  endure  great  hardships  all  the  way.  This  was  par 
ticularly  true  of  the  men  under  Gilpin.  Their  difficulties 
were  increased  many  times  by  the  heavy  snows  that  fell 


COLONEL  A.  W.  DONIPHAN 

From  Vida  Smith's  Young  People's 
History  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter  Day  Saints. 


i6o 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Suppres 
sion  of  the 
Navajos 


Doniphan's 
Expedition 
through 
Mexico 


while  they  were  going  over  the  mountains,  and  by  the 
extremely  cold  weather. 

In  due  time,  however,  the  three  divisions  met  at  the 
appointed  place,  Bear  Springs,  and  a  treaty  was  finally 
made  with  the  Navajos  by  which  they  agreed  that  they 
would  thereafter  keep  the  peace  not  only  with  the  Ameri 
cans,  but  also  with  the  people  of  New  Mexico  and 
with  the  Pueblo  Indians.  Doniphan  had  some  difficulty 
in  explaining  to  the  Navajos  how  it  was  that  he  was 
defending  the  people  whom  he  had  come  out  to  fight. 
For  years  the  Navajos  had  made  war  on  the  New  Mexicans, 
and  since  the  United  States  had  invaded  New  Mexico  it 
seemed  proper  to  them  that  Doniphan  should  join  his 
troops  with  them  in  continuing  the  war  with  the  Mexicans. 
But  when  Doniphan  explained  that  the  situation  was 
altogether  changed  because  of  the  surrender  of  New 
Mexico  to  the  United  States,  the  Navajos  agreed  to  the 
treaty  of  peace.  Probably  Doniphan's  show  of  military 
force  had  something  to  do  with  bringing  the  Navajos  to 
terms. 

Having  performed  the  mission  that  had  been  imposed 
upon  him  by  Kearny,  Doniphan  then  returned  to  his 
headquarters  on  the  Rio  Grande,  and  after  giving  his  men 
a  few  days'  rest,  began  his  advance  to  the  south  upon 
Chihuahua,  about  the  middle  of  December,  1 846.  To  facil 
itate  the  march  across  the  Great  Desert,  he  divided  his  men 
into  three  detachments  and  started  them  out  at  different 
intervals.  Major  Gilpin  led  off  with  300  men,  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Jackson  followed  with  200  men,  and  Doniphan 
brought  up  the  rear  with  the  rest.  The  men  suffered  a 
great  deal  in  passing  through  this  desert,  which  was  called 
by  the  Mexicans,  "The  Journey  of  the  Dead."  The 
weather  became  extremely  cold  and  the  men  were  not 
able  to  find  any  water  to  drink  or  any  wood  with  which 
to  build  fires.  But,  by  forced  marches  they  got  through 
the  desert  in  three  days  and  the  three  detachments  were 
reunited  at  Donna  Anna,  a  small  place  in  the  state  of 


EXPEDITIONS   OF   KEARNY   AND   DONIPHAN       161 

Chihuahua,  where  they  found  an  abundance  of  supplies 
and  water. 

From  this  point  they  proceeded  a  day  or  two  later  down    i.  Battle  of 
the  Rio  Grande  unopposed  until  they  came  to  an  arm  of    Brazitc 
the  river  called  Brazito   (which  means   "Little  Arm"), 
where  they  \vere  surprised  by  a  force  of  about  1300  Mexi 
cans.     Doniphan's  front  guard  had  called  a  halt  and  were 
scattered  out  searching  for  forage  when  the   Mexicans 
appeared.     Forming  in  line  very  hastily,  the  Missourians 
received  the  charge  that  was  directed  against  them,  and 


^-^^. 


-\-m  —         , 


DONIPHAN'^  ARMY  ON  THE  MARCH 


From  Stevens'  Missouri,  the  Center  State,  by  permission  of  the  Missouri 
Historical  Society. 

in  less  than  half  an  hour  the  skirmish  was  over  and  the 
Mexicans  were  in  full  retreat.  Doniphan's  loss  was  only 
eight  wounded,  while  that  of  the  Mexican  was  79  killed  and 
150  wounded.  After  the  battle  was  over  Doniphan's  men 
gathered  up  a  supply  of  provisions  that  had  been  abandoned 
by  the  Mexicans  on  the  field  and  made  for  themselves  a 
great  Christmas  feast,  for  the  engagement  had  occurred 
on  Christmas  afternoon. 

Two  days  later  El  Paso  was  taken  without  any  resist-    2.  Entry  into 
ance.     Investigations  were  at  first  instituted  to  ascertain   * 
what  food  supplies  were  to  be  had  there  and  what  also 
was   available   in    the   way   of   arms    and    ammunition. 
Owing  to  the  kind  treatment  which  the  people  of  El  Paso 


162 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.  March  to 
Chihuahua 


4.  Battle  of 
Sacramento 


had  received  at  the  hands  of  the  Americans,  they  were 
very  generous  toward  the  soldiers  and  extended  to  them 
many  hospitalities. 

It  was  while  he  was  at  El  Paso  that  Doniphan  learned 
that  General  Wool  had  not  advanced  upon  the  city  of  Chi 
huahua  at  all.  This  was  not  very  encouraging,  but 
Doniphan  put  the  matter  up  to  his  men  as  to  what  should 
be  done,  and  they  promptly  advised  him  to  proceed  to 
Chihuahua,  which  was  over  200  miles  distant.  It  was  not 
deemed  advisable,  however,  to  go  without  the  artillery 
which  had  been  ordered  from  Santa  Fe,  and  so  Doniphan 
remained  at  El  Paso  for  42  days  waiting  for  it  to  arrive. 
It  was  not  until  February  8,  1847,  that  the  march  was 
resumed.  On  March  i,  Chihuahua  was  reached  and  taken. 

The  troops  were  forced  to  undergo  great  suffering  while 
passing  through  stretches  of  desert  land  that  intervened 
along  the  way  between  El  Paso  and  Chihuahua.  The 
heavy  sand  made  travel  almost  impossible,  and  the  men 
and  mules  were  consumed  with  great  thirst.  Once  the 
whole  expedition  was  threatened  with  annihilation  by  a 
prairie  fire  and  saved  itself  only  by  most  heroic  efforts. 

No  opposing  force  was  met,  however,  until  they  reached 
the  pass  of  Sacramento,  fifteen  miles  from  Chihuahua. 
Here  the  enemy  was  discovered  "  occupying  the  brow  of  a 
rocky  eminence,"  which  was  well  fortified.  "So  certain 
of  victory  were  the  Mexicans,"  it  is  said,  "that  they  had 
prepared  strings  and  handcuffs"  in  which  they  meant  to 
drive  the  Americans  as  prisoners  to  the  City  of  Mexico. 
There  were  over  4000  Mexicans,  well  supplied  with  artillery, 
awaiting  the  Americans  at  the  pass.  Doniphan 's  force 
numbered  a  few  more  than  900  effective  men.  Notwith 
standing  this  big  difference  in  numbers,  the  American  loss 
was  only  one  killed  and  eleven  wounded,  three  of  whom 
subsequently  died.  The  Mexican  loss,  however,  was 
200  killed  and  about  300  wounded.  The  day  following  the 
battle,  Doniphan  took  possession  of  Chihuahua. 

After  taking  Chihuahua  Doniphan  learned  that  both 


EXPEDITIONS   OF   KEARNY  AND   DONIPHAN       163 

Wool  and  Taylor  were  shut  up  by  Santa  Anna  at  Saltillo,   5.  Advance 
about  470  miles  southeast  of  Chihuahua.     He  therefore   ^ndMata 
dispatched  an  express  to  Saltillo  with  a  special  communica-  moras 
tion  to  Wool  in  which  he  offered  to  come  at  once  if  only 
ordered  to  do  so.     He  declared  that  his  troops  were  wholly 
unfitted   for   garrison   service   and   would   be   ruined   by 
improper  indulgences  if   they  were   kept  as   a   "  wagon 
guard"  at  Chihuahua.     He  therefore  begged  for  an  order 
to  join  Wool  at  once,  especially  since  the  term  of  service 
of  his  men  was  about  to  expire. 

In  due  time  an  order  came  back  from  General  Taylor 
to  Doniphan  directing  him  to  proceed  to  Saltillo  and  thence 
to  Matamoras,  where  his  men  would  embark  for  the 
United  States.  The  march  from  Chihuahua  to  the  Gulf 
was  a  very  tedious  and  arduous  one,  and  the  men  had  to 
undergo  many  hardships  and  much  real  suffering.  On 
May  22,  Doniphan  and  his  men  reached  Saltillo,  and  on 
June  9  they  arrived  at  Brazos  Island  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Rio  Grande,  from  which  place  they  embarked  the  next 
day  for  New  Orleans  and  home.  "With  their  arrival  6.  Embarka- 
on  the  shores  of  the  Gulf  this  extraordinary  march  came 
to  an  end.  Including  the  'Navajo  expedition,  it  had 
extended  over  a  distance  of  3000  miles  through  an  unin 
habited  or  hostile  country,  often  without  water  or  supplies 
of  any  kind ;  and  it  had  been  made  in  the  face  of  diffi 
culties  which  tested  to  the  utmost  the  endurance  of  those 
who  took  part  in  it.  That  they  were  able  to  accomplish 
it  with  a  loss  of  less  than  50  men,  counting  those  who  fell 
in  the  sharply  contested  action  at  Sacramento,  speaks 
volumes  for  the  material  of  the  command,  and  justly 
entitled  them  to  the  enthusiastic  welcome  which  they 
received  on  their  return."  l 

1  It  is  a  singular  coincidence  that,  just  seventy  years  after  Doni 
phan  made  his  expedition  across  the  deserts  of  Chihuahua,  General 
Pershing  led  his  punitive  expedition  over  part  of  this  same  territory, 
hunting  for  the  Mexican  bandit,  Villa.  The  coincidence  is  the  more 
interesting  as  Pershing,  like  Doniphan,  is  a  native  Missourian. 


164 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Reception 
of  the 
Troops  at 
St.  Louis 


Rebellion 
in  New 
Mexico 


On  hearing  that  the  Missouri  volunteers  were  returning 
home  by  the  way  of  the  Mississippi  River,  the  people  of 
St.  Louis  prepared  to  give  them  a  hearty  welcome.  But 
as  the  soldiers  returned  in  detached  parties  they  could  not 
be  induced  to  remain  in  St.  Louis  until  all  had  arrived  and 
then  partake  together  of  the  proffered  hospitality.  It  was 
therefore  decided  by  the  St.  Louisans  to  go  through  with 
the  formalities  of  the  reception  on  July  2 ,  at  which  time  a 
considerable  number  of  the  troops  were  present.  "Accord 
ingly,  the  various  military  and  fire  companies  of  the  city 
were  paraded  in  full  uniform ;  the  people  collected  in 
great  crowds ;  the  Mexican  cannon,  the  trophies  of  vic 
tory,  were  dragged  along  the  streets,  crowned  with  gar 
lands ;  and  an  immense  procession  was  formed"  which 
proceeded  to  a  certain  place  where  Thomas  Hart  Benton 
delivered  "a  most  thrilling  and  eloquent  address,  re 
counting  with  astonishing  accuracy  and  extraordinary 
minuteness  the  events  of  the  great  campaign." 

But  while  Doniphan  and  his  men  were  making  their  way 
from  Santa  Fe  to  Chihuahua,  a  very  serious  rebellion 
broke  out  against  American  rule  in  New  Mexico  and  came 
very  near  putting  an  end  to  it.  It  appears  that  the  rebel 
lion  was  headed  by  ten  or  twelve  New  Mexicans  who  sought 
to  turn  to  their  own  advantage  the  deadly  hostility  of  their 
fellow  countrymen  against  the  Americans.  The  plotting 
began  about  December  i,  1846,  and  the  plan  was  to  bring 
about  the  uprising  on  December  25.1  But  before  this 
could  be  accomplished,  Price,  who  had  been  left  in  charge 
of  affairs  at  Santa  Fe,  had  been  informed  about  the  matter 
and  had  prevented  the  uprising  from  occurring  at  that  par 
ticular  time.  In  less  than  a  month,  however,  the  storm 
broke,  and  Governor  Bent  and  several  other  government 
officers  were  murdered  at  Taos.  At  the  same  time  similar 
outbreaks  occurred  at  a  number  of  other  places  in  the 
territory. 

1  On  that  day,  it  will  be  recalled,  Doniphan  won  the  battle  of 
Brazito  while  on  his  way  to  El  Paso. 


EXPEDITIONS   OF   KEARNY  AND   DONIPHAN       165 

On  hearing  of  the  uprising  at  Taos  and  the  murder  of 
Bent,  Colonel  Price  set  out  for  that  place,  and  after  besieg 
ing  it  finally  took  it  on  February  4,  1847.  By  means  of 
other  engagements  the  rebellion  was  suppressed.  The 
leaders  of  the  uprising  were  either  killed  in  battle  or 
executed,  or  they  escaped  to  the  mountains.  Notwith 
standing  the  suppression  of  the  revolt,  there  was  a  great 
deal  of  pillaging  committed  by  marauding  bands  of  Indians 
and  Mexicans,  and  there  were  several  skirmishes  between 
them  and  the  American  troops,  entailing  the  loss  of  a  con 
siderable  number  of  the  latter.  So  unsettled  were  condi 
tions  in  New  Mexico  that  Colonel  Price  asked  for  additional 
troops,  and  these  were  promptly  sent  him.  About  the 
middle  of  August  a  battalion  of  infantry  and  a  regiment  of 
cavalry,  all  Missourians,  started  out  from  Leavenworth 
for  Santa  Fe,  and  early  in  October  five  more  companies  of 
Missouri  volunteers  were  also  sent  out.  In  addition  to 
these  an  Illinois  regiment  of  volunteer  infantry  was  raised 
and  sent  to  Santa  Fe. 

Meanwhile  Price  had  returned  from  New  Mexico  to  Return  °f 
Missouri,  bringing  his  original  troops  with  him.     They  New  Mexico 
arrived  on  September  25.     Their  total  loss  of  men  in 
battle  and  by  disease  had  been   400.      Price  afterward 
returned  and  assumed  control  as  general  over  the  3000 
troops  that  had  been  sent  into  the  territory,  and  was  there 
fore  able  to  preserve  order  without  difficulty.1 

1  The  responsibility  for  this  disastrous  uprising  on  the  part  of  the 
New  Mexicans  has  been  laid  upon  Price.  He  has  been  charged  with 
unmilitary  negligence  in  failing  to  keep  the  surrounding  country  and 
his  own  soldiers  sufficiently  under  control.  The  charge  may  be 
more  or  less  unfair,  but  Price  was  never  a  strong  disciplinarian, 
and  the  blame  for  the  revolt  may  rightly  rest  upon  him,  in  part  at 
least.  In  any  case,  this  revolt  caused  many  people  to  turn  against 
Price.  Among  these  was  Colonel  Jefferson  Davis  of  Mississippi, 
who  had  saved  the  day  at  Buena  Vista  (Feb.  22,  1847).  From  that 
time  on  Davis  expressed  profound  contempt  for  Price,  and  when 
later  he  became  President  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  he  more 
than  once  voiced  his  loathing  for  Price.  More  will  be  said  about 
this  personal  hostility  between  Price  and  Davis  in  a  later  chapter. 


i66 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


Significance 
of  Doni- 
phan's 
Expedition 


By  the  Treaty  of  1848  Mexico  ceded  to  the  United 
States,  New  Mexico  and  California.  In  doing  this 
Mexico  merely  gave  legal  sanction  to  the  conquest  of 
these  territories  that  had  already  been  accomplished.  As 
far  as  New  Mexico  was  concerned,  the  credit  for  conquer 
ing  that  territory  belongs  largely  to  Missourians.  Mis 
souri  sent  7000  men  in  all  into  the  war  with  Mexico,  and 
of  this  number  6000  were  employed  in  the  conquest  and 
pacification  of  New  Mexico.  The  only  other  forces  that 
were  used  in  this  work  were  the  few  regular  dragoons  in  the 
opening  weeks  of  the  conquest,  and  the  Illinois  regiment 
of  volunteers  toward  its  close.  It  is  therefore  chiefly  to 
the  men  of  Missouri  that  the  Union  is  indebted  for  the 
conquest  of  New  Mexico. 


REFERENCES 

Carr,  Missouri,  ch.  x.  Hughes,  Doniphan's  Expedition.  This 
book  was  written  by  one  of  Doniphan's  men  shortly  after  the  expedi 
tion.  It  is  the  most  important  and  valuable  source  on  this  sub 
ject.  It  was  reprinted  by  the  United  States  Government  in  1914. 
Cannelley,  Doniphan's  Expedition.  A  reprint  of  Hughes'  account, 
together  with  the  official  notes  and  record  of  the  expedition  and  an 
appendix  including  an  interview  of  the  author  with  Doniphan  in 
1880  and  an  address  by  Major  Gilpin. 


CHAPTER   IX 
MISSOURI  AND   THE  FAR  WEST 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  War  between  the  United  States  and 
Mexico.] 

OF  all  the  states  in  the  Middle  West  no  one  has  played  Missouri  as 
a  more  important  part  in  our  national  affairs  than  Missouri.   a  Colonizer 
Very  early  its  history  became  closely  intertwined  with  that  Far  West 
of  the  nation,  and  twice  at  least  questions  pertaining  to 
Missouri  brought  on  a  great  crisis  in  our  national  affairs. 
The  first  of  these  two  crises  arose  when  Missouri  sought 
admission  into  the  Union  and  thus  precipitated  the  first 
great  struggle  over  slavery  in  the  nation's  history.     Some 
attention   has   been  given  to  that  subject  in  a  former 
chapter.     The  second  of  these  questions  arose  at  the  out 
break  of  the  Civil  War  and  had  to  do  with  the  problem  of 
whether  or  not  Missouri  would  remain  in  the  Union.     In 
due  time  that  matter  will  be  fully  dealt  with  in  this  book. 

But  the  special  attention  that  is  usually  given  to  Mis 
souri's  connection  with  our  national  affairs  in  1820  and 
during  the  Civil  War  should  not  cause  us  to  lose  sight  of 
the  fact  that  during  the  period  from  1820  to  1860  Missouri 
was  a  very  important  factor  in  our  national  life  because 
of  the  part  it  played  in  the  development  of  practically  all 
of  the  region  west  of  the  Mississippi,  especially  in  the  far 
Southwest  and  the  far  Northwest.  We  have  seen  in  the 
preceding  chapter  how  Missourians  had  won  for  the 
nation  through  conquest  the  vast  stretch  of  territory  in 
the  Southwest.  But  more  important  than  this  military 
exploit  was  the  part  which  Missouri  played  as  a  colonizer 

167 


1 68  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

of  the  West  during  the  interval  between  1820  and  1860. 
In  this  role  it  touched  very  directly  the  life  of  Texas,  New 
Mexico,  California,  and  Oregon. 

That  Missouri  became  in  early  days  a  colonizer  of  the 
regions  that  lay  to  the  west  of  it  was  due  largely  to  its 
geographical  position.  In  the  first  place,  Missouri  was 
the  converging  point  for  many  of  the  lines  of  navigation 
from  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Alleghenies.  The  most 
important  eastern  tributaries  of  the  Mississippi,  namely, 
the  Illinois  and  the  Ohio,  joined  the  Mississippi  opposite 
Missouri,  and  inasmuch  as  the  early  movements  of  popu 
lation  westward  followed  these  streams,  a  great  number 
of  settlers  thereby  made  their  way  into  Missouri.  There 
were,  of  course,  many  things  to  attract  settlers  to  Missouri 
which  would  have  drawn  them  thither  in  time  even  if  there 
had  been  no  natural  ways  of  approach.  But  the  mere 
fact  that  the  most  important  tributaries  of  the  Mississippi 
on  the  east  led  directly  to  Missouri  gave  it  an  advantage 
over  Iowa  and  Arkansas,  and  explains  why  Missouri 
became  settled  long  before  they  were.  For  many  years 
"Missouri  stood  as  the  vanguard  of  the  states,  with  its 
settlements  reaching  out  into  the  wilderness  of  western 
prairies."  l 

In  the  second  place,  the  Missouri  River  and  its  tribu 
taries  opened  the  way  to  the  West  and  the  Northwest  and 
greatly  facilitated  the  exploration  and  the  settlement  of 
those  parts  of  the  country.  The  Missouri  River  also 
aided  in  establishing  a  connection  between  Missouri  and 
the  Southwest,  for  although  it  had  no  tributaries  from  that 
direction,  the  Santa  Fe  Trail  which  led  far  away  into  the 
Southwest  started  from  a  Missouri  River  town. 

Because  of  its  geographical  position,  therefore,  Missouri 
was  on  the  great  highway  between  the  East  and  the  Far 
West,  and  this  gave  the  people  of  Missouri  a  great  oppor 
tunity  to  participate  directly  in  the  development  of  the 

1  Arkansas  was  not  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  state  until  1836, 
Iowa  not  until  1846,  and  Kansas  not  until  1861. 


MISSOURI  AND  THE   FAR  WEST  169 

Far  West.  It  is  the  purpose  of  the  next  few  chapters  to 
deal  with  some  of  the  phases  of  this  expansion  of  Missouri 
into  the  regions  beyond  it. 

I.     MISSOURI    AND    THE    FUR    TRADE 

Missourians  became  interested  in  the  Far  West  primarily  Significance 
because  of  certain  attractions  which  that  country  afforded  jr^®  ^Jhe 
them.  One  of  the  most  important  of  these  attractions  History  of 
and  the  earliest  of  them  all  was  the  fur  trade.  It  is  Missouri 
significant  that  from  early  times  to  the  present  the  fur 
trade  has  been  a  thriving  industry  in  Missouri.  Missouri 
is  generally  thought  of  as  an  agricultural  state  and,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  it  has  been  and  is  such  yet.  But  it  is  not 
solely  agricultural.  From  earliest  times  Missouri  has 
ranked  high  in  lead  mining  and  for  many  years  it  has  been 
the  leading  state  in  the  production  of  that  metal  and  also 
of  zinc.  In  recent  times  Missouri  has  become  more  and 
more  important  in  manufacturing  and  commerce.  But 
in  the  realm  of  commerce  it  has  long  maintained  a  leading 
position  in  at  least  one  commodity  —  furs.  St.  Louis 
has  for  some  time  been  one  of  the  chief  fur  markets  of  the 
world.  It  was  founded  as  a  fur  trading  post,  and  though 
its  business  grew  slowly,  it  held  first  place  in  the  fur  trade 
of  the  country  during  the  early  and  middle  parts  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  Naturally  this  brought  an  immense 
amount  of  wealth  to  St.  Louis.  Indeed  it  is  not  too  much 
to  say  that  most  of  the  wealth  which  that  city  accumu 
lated  up  to  1850,  at  least,  was  due  to  the  fur  trade,  and  of 
course  Missouri  shared  in  the  prosperity  of  its  most  im 
portant  city.  It  is  fitting,  therefore,  that  some  account 
should  be  given  here  of  the  fur  trade  in  Missouri,  especially 
in  the  early  period,  not  only  because  of  its  prominence 
as  an  industry  in  the  State,  but  also  because  of  the  con 
nection  it  helped  to  establish  between  Missouri  and  the 
Far  West. 

Early  industrial  conditions  in  Missouri  were  well  suited 
to  the  development  of  the  fur  trade.     Fur-bearing  animals 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


Early  Fur 
Trade  in 
Missouri 

i.  Furs  as 
Media  of 
Exchange 


2.  Grant  to 
Maxent, 
Laclede  and 
Company 


3.  Individ 
ual  Traders 


were  numerous  not  only  in  Missouri  but  also  in  the  tribu 
tary  regions,  and  the  pioneer,  who  was  naturally  fond  of 
hunting,  was  irresistibly  drawn  into  the  traffic  either  as  a 
trapper  or  as  a  trader.  Moreover,  furs  were  very  valuable, 
and  since  money  was  not  very  plentiful  and  barter  fre 
quently  had  to  be  resorted  to,  furs  were  readily  used  as 
media  of  exchange,  as  has  already  been  mentioned.  For 
a  long  time  values  were  expressed  in  Missouri  in  terms  of 
furs,  just  as  in  Virginia  in  colonial  times  they  were  ex 
pressed  in  terms  of  tobacco. 

We  have  already  seen  that  St.  Louis  was  founded  in 
1764  by  Maxent,  Laclede  and  Company  for  the  purpose 
of  carrying  on  the  fur  trade  with  the  Indians  along  the 
Missouri,  a  complete  monopoly  of  which  was  granted  to 
this  firm  by  the  French  governor  of  New  Orleans  for  a 
period  of  at  least  eight  years.  For  some  time  after  1764 
the  Indians  brought  their  furs  to  this  post,  and  it  was  not 
necessary  for  the  traders  to  take  their  goods  and  wares 
to  the  Indians  and  offer  them  in  exchange  for  the  furs  that 
had  been  collected.  But  it  was  soon  found  that  this 
method  was  inadequate.  The  Indians  did  not  bring  in  as 
many  peltries  as  were  wanted,  and  hence  the  traders  began 
to  visit  the  Indian  villages,  going  in  groups  of  two, 
three,  and  four.  Sometimes  these  traders  paddled  their 
canoes  upstream  and  sometimes  they  struck  out  across 
the  country  with  their  packs  of  goods  upon  their  backs. 

The  fur  trade  was  carried  on  in  Missouri  during  the 
French  and  Spanish  periods  chiefly  by  individual  traders 
and  not  by  large  companies.  It  is  true  that  St.  Louis  was 
founded  by  a  fur  trading  company,  but  Maxent  was  the 
only  responsible  member  of  the  firm  and  Laclede  was  noth 
ing  more  than  a  local  manager.  Maxent,  Laclede  and 
Company  was  after  all  an  individual  enterprise.  There 
was,  however,  at  least  one  attempt  during  this  period 
to  create  a  large  company  for  the  purpose  of  developing  the 
fur  trade  beyond  all  former  limits.  In  1794  Governor 
Trudeau  got  nine  or  ten  of  the  leading  traders  in  the 


MISSOURI   AND   THE   FAR  WEST 


Missouri  country  together  in  St.  Louis  and  proposed  to 
them  that  they  should  form  a  large  company.  His  pro 
posal  was  acted  upon  favorably,  and  the  Commercial 
Company  for  the  Discovery  of  the  Nations  of  the  Upper 
Missouri,  more  commonly  called  the  Missouri  Trading  Com 
pany,  was  formed.  "  This  was  the  first  attempt  to  exploit 
the  fur  trade  in  the  form  of  a  compact  organization." 

In  1802  another  company  under  the  title  of  Manuel  Lisa, 
Benoit  and  Company  was  formed  by  four  merchants  who 
were  engaged  in  the  fur  trade  on  the  Missouri  River. 
Most  prominent  among  them,  as  the  name  of  the  company 
would  suggest,  was  Manuel  Lisa,  of  whom  we  shall  hear 
more  very  shortly. 

But  neither  the  Missouri  Trading  Company  nor  Lisa's 
company  was  very  successful,  and  until  after  the  Louisiana 
Purchase  it  was  found  that  the  conduct  of  the  fur  business 
by  individuals  was  generally  better  suited  to  the  industrial 
conditions  of  the  time  than  by  companies. 

During  the  French  and  Spanish  periods  of  Missouri's 
history,  trading  in  furs  by  those  who  operated  from  Missouri 
was  confined  for  the  most  part  to  the  lower  Missouri  and 
its  tributaries,  chiefly  the  Osage  and  the  Gasconade,  and 
to  the  Mississippi  between  the  Des  Moines  and  the  Arkan 
sas  rivers.  From  the  region  east  of  the  Mississippi  and 
from  the  upper  course  of  that  river,  the  traders  from  the 
Missouri  country  were  excluded  by  the  powers  that  held 
those  regions. 

The  time  came,  however,  when  the  field  was  greatly  New  Era  in 
enlarged  for  the  traders  operating  from  Missouri.  In 
1804-06  Lewis  and  Clark  made  their  famous  expedition 
up  the  Missouri  and  down  the  Columbia  to  the  Pacific,  and 
in  1806  Pike  made  his  almost  equally  famous  expedition 
to  the  Rockies.  The  men  brought  back  reports  of  the 
richness  of  the  country  they  had  explored  in  fur-bearing 
animals,  and  immediately  traders  began  to  make  their 
way  to  these  regions.  Later  the  Sante  Fe  Trail  was  laid 
out  and  the  country  to  the  southwest  began  to  yield  rich 


4.  Restricted 
Fields  of 
Operation 


the  Fur 
Trade  of 
Missouri 


172 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


i.  Enlarge 
ment  of  Field 
of  Operation 


2.  Creation 
of  Large  Fur 
Companies 


Missouri 
Fur  Com 
pany,  or 
Manuel  Lisa 
and 
Company 


returns  in  furs.  It  was  decidedly  fortunate  for  the 
Missouri  traders  that  these  new  regions  were  opened  up, 
for  the  constant  hunting  and  trapping  that  had  been 
going  on  in  the  restricted  area  in  which  they  had  been 
operating  prior  to  1804  had  done  a  great  deal  toward 
killing  off  the  fur-bearing  animals  in  that  section,  and  it 
was  necessary  that  new  fields  should  be  found  if  this 
industry  was  to  continue.  This  necessity  was  met  by  the 
expeditions  of  Lewis  and  Clark  and  of  Pike,  and  as  a  result 
the  period  of  forty  years  following  these  expeditions  was 
marked  by  a  greater  activity  in  the  fur  trade  in  Missouri 
than  had  ever  been  known  before. 

This  increase  in  the  activity  of  the  fur  trade  in  Missouri 
was  due  not  only  to  the  new  fields  that  were  opened  up,  but 
also  to  the  important  changes  that  were  made  in  the 
organization  of  the  fur  trade  itself.  Although  individual 
traders  continued  throughout  this  period  to  operate  within 
the  field  west  of  the  Mississippi  River,  large  companies 
were  organized  in  St.  Louis  after  1808,  and  these  con 
ducted  the  fur  trade  on  a  much  broader  scale  than  had 
been  possible  when  the  traffic  in  St.  Louis  had  been  in 
the  hands  of  individual  traders.  The  activity  of  certain 
British  fur  companies,  such  as  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company 
and  the  Northwest  Company  of  Montreal,  had  much  to 
do  with  bringing  about  the  formation  of  large  companies  in 
Missouri.  These  British  companies  were  in  operation 
not  only  in  the  vast  territory  of  Canada,  but  also  in  a  con 
siderable  portion  of  what  is  now  the  United  States.  It  is 
a  significant  fact  that  a  "large  part  of  the  trade  of  the 
country  tributary  to  St.  Louis  was  at  that  time  in  the  hands 
of  foreigners,"  and  it  was  felt  that  individual  trading  on 
the  part  of  Americans  was  inadequate  to  meet  the  compe 
tition  of  these  large  companies. 

One  of  the  earliest  of  the  American  companies  to  be 
formed  with  St.  Louis  as  a  base  of  operations  was  the 
Missouri  Fur  Company.  The  leader  in  this  company  was 
Manuel  Lisa,  one  of  the  most  interesting  characters  in  the 


MISSOURI  AND  THE  FAR  WEST 


173 


early  history  of  Missouri.     He  was  born  of  Spanish  parents, 

probably  in  New  Orleans,  and  in  1790  came  as  a  young 

man  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  soon  established  himself  in  the 

fur  trade.     He  realized  the  importance  of  the  information 

that  had  been  brought  back  by  Lewis  and  Clark  concern 

ing  the  resources  of  the  country  which  they  had  explored, 

and  he  decided  to  take  immediate  advantage  of  the  situa 

tion  in  so  far  as  was  possible.     He  organized  an  expedition   i;  Opera- 

to  ascend  the  Missouri  and  to  establish  posts  among  the   ^cllppe? 

Indians  living  along  its  upper  course.     After  his  return  to   Missouri 

St.  Louis  in  1808,  he  was  the  moving  spirit  in  the  reorgan 

ization    of    the    Missouri    Fur    Company.     For    nearly 

twenty-five  years  thereafter  this  company  operated  along 

the  upper  Missouri  River,  but  it  was  far  from  being  a 

success  financially.     Its  first  expedition  in   1809  turned 

out  disastrously,  owing  to  the  hostility  of  the  Blackfeet 

Indians  living  in  the  region  of  the  Three  Forks  of  the 

Missouri,  with  whom  no  sort  of  an  agreement  could  be 

made.     This  disaster  led  to  a  reorganization  of  the  com 

pany  in   1812,  and   Lisa  became  the  principal  member. 

In  fact,  from  this  time  to  his  death  in  1820  the  company 

was  commonly  spoken  of  as  "  Manuel  Lisa  and  Company." 

The  War  of  1812  interfered  with  its  work,  but  after  the 

war  was  over  business  revived  and  the  company  appeared 

to  be  prosperous.     Disasters,  however,  overtook  it  after 

Lisa's  death  and  in  the  early  thirties  it  became  extinct. 

It  was  nevertheless  "the   most  important  company  that 

did  business  from  St.  Louis  in  the  first   quarter  of  the 

nineteenth  century." 

Whatever  success  the  Missouri  Fur  Company  enjoyed  2.  Manuel 
was  largely  due  to  Manuel  Lisa.  He  found  that  the 
explanation  for  the  failure  of  the  early  fur  trade  ventures, 
including  those  that  had  been  undertaken  by  the  Mis 
souri  Trading  Company,  which  Trudeau  had  been  in 
strumental  in  organizing,  lay  in  the  fact  that  prepara 
tions  had  been  carried  on  by  small  parties  working  from 
temporary  trading  posts.  Lisa  decided  to  erect  at  suit- 


Llsa 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


able  places  along  the  Missouri  River  fairly  substantial 
forts  and  factories  which  would  furnish  him  and  his  men 
adequate  protection  against  the  Indians  and  also  per 
manent  headquarters  for  the  operations  of  his  company. 
This  new  method  at  once  demonstrated  its  superiority 
over  the  older  methods,  and  whenever  Lisa  had  complete 

control  of  his  company  he 
generally  succeeded  in  the 
expedition  he  conducted. 

Lisa  was  a  man  of  un 
limited  energy  and  of  aston 
ishing  endurance.  During 
the  last  thirteen  years 
of  his  life  he  made  at 
least  twelve  different  trips 
up  the  Missouri,  no  one  of 
which  was  less  than  670 
miles  long.  "  He  never 
shrank  from  any  toil  that 
occasion  demanded,  and  a 
finer  example  of  persistent 
effort  throughout  a  lifetime 
can  scarcely  be  pointed 
out." 

Lisa  was  not  only  a  man 
of  great  physical  energy  and 

activity,  but  was  also  a  "master  of  the  art  of  conciliat 
ing  the  good  will  of  the  Indians,"  as  much  so  at  least  as 
any  trader  who  ever  ascended  the  Missouri  River.  "He 
knew  when  to  be  gentle  and  when  severe,  and  could 
adroitly  mingle  with  his  protestations  of  friendship  dem 
onstrations  of  ability  to  defend  himself.  While  smok 
ing  the  pipe  of  peace,  he  did  not  conceal  the  muskets  of 
his  followers  nor  the  more  formidable  swivel  upon  the 
boat.  He  knew  the  indispensable  function  of  presents, 
and  he  was  never  niggardly  in  this  respect  when  par 
simony  might  mean  ruin.  In  short,  he  understood  all 


MANUEL  LISA 

The  most  noted  of  the  early  fur 
traders  in  Missouri.  From  Stevens' 
Missouri,  the  Center  State,  by  per 
mission  of  the  Missouri  Historical 
Society. 


MISSOURI  AND   THE   FAR  WEST  175 

the  secret  springs  which  actuate  the  savage  mind,  and 
with  marvelous  dexterity  he  played  upon  them  so  as 
always  to  avert  catastrophe."  Although  married,  he 
took  unto  himself  a  wife  from  the  Omaha  tribe  in 
order  that  he  might  ingratiate  himself  all  the  more  in 
their  good  will.1 

Meanwhile,  the   regions  southwest   and    west  of  Mis-  Rocky 
souri  were   beginning   to  be  developed    by    fur    traders  ^°unt 
operating  from  St.  Louis.     For  some  time  it  had  been   Company 
known  that  the  Rio  Grande  country  was  rich  in  beavers, 
but  it  was  not  until  the  opening  of  the  Santa  Fe  trade 
about   1821  that  St.  Louis  fur  traders  found  an  oppor 
tunity  for  exploiting  this  region  on  a  large  scale.     There 
after,   however,    large   quantities   of   furs   were   brought 
from  Santa  Fe  by  traders  on  their  return  trip  to  St.  Louis. 

The  region  directly  west  of  the  Missouri,  which  lay  i.  Opera- 
between  the  far  Northwest  and  the  far  Southwest, 
was  developed  by  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company. 
This  company  was  organized  in  1822  for  the  purpose  of 
operating  as  a  competitor  of  the  Missouri  Fur  Company 
in  the  upper  Missouri  River  region.  But,  owing  to  dis 
asters  which  overtook  its  efforts  in  1822  and  1823,  it 
gave  up  the  Missouri  River  trade  altogether,  and  in  1824 
it  began  operating  in  the  Rockies.  An  expedition  was 
sent  up  to  the  source  of  the  Platte  River,  and  from  thence 
it  moved  across  the  mountains  to  Green  River  and  Salt 
Lake.  It  returned  to  St.  Louis  by  way  of  the  Yellowstone 
and  the  Missouri  rivers,  reaching  St.  Louis  in  October, 
1825.  The  brilliant  success  of  this  expedition  aroused 

1  It  was  because  of  his  great  influence  with  the  Indians  that  the 
United  States  Government  gave  Lisa  the  task  of  holding  the  tribes 
on  the  Upper  Missouri  to  the  side  of  the  United  States  in  the  War 
of  1812.  He  was  successful  in  this  task  beyond  all  expectations. 
He  not  only  organized  Indian  expeditions  against  some  of  the  tribes 
on  the  Mississippi  River  that  were  allies  of  the  British,  but  he  was 
also  instrumental  in  getting  nearly  all  the  upper  Missouri  River 
tribes  to  make  treaties  of  friendship  and  alliance  with  the  United 
States  at  the  close  of  the  war. 


i76 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  General 
William 

Ashley 


(a)  Early 
Career 


(6)  The 
Annual 
Rendezvous 


everyone  interested  in  the  fur  trade,  especially  the  Amer 
ican  Fur  Company,  which  had  established  itself  a  year 
or  two  before  at  St.  Louis  for  the  purpose  of  entering  the 
fields  tributary  to  that  point. 

The  moving  spirit  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  Company 
was  General  William  Ashley.  He  was  a  Virginian  by 
birth  and  had  come  to  St.  Louis  in  1802,  where  during  the 
next  four  years  he  was  engaged  in  a  number  of  different 
ventures,  including  the  real  estate  business,  the  manu 
facture  of  powder,  lead  mining,  and  banking.  He  took 
an  active  part  in  developing  the  State  militia,  and  by 
1822  had  been  put  at  its  head  with  the  title  of  general. 
He  also  became  very  much  interested  in  politics  and  was 
the  first  elected  lieutenant  governor  of  the  newly  created 
State  of  Missouri  in  1820.  In  1822  he  joined  himself 
with  others  in  forming  the  Rocky  Mountain  Company, 
and  in  the  next  five  years  he  went  out  on  four  different 
expeditions,  most  of  which  were  very  successful  and 
remunerative. 

To  Ashley  belongs  the  credit  for  substituting  the  annual 
rendezvous  for  the  established  post.  It  has  already 
been  noted  that  Lisa  had  in  his  time  been  responsible 
for  the  creation  of  the  permanent  trading  posts  along  the 
route  that  he  was  accustomed  to  travel  on  his  expedi 
tions.  To  these  posts  the  Indians  used  to  take  their 
peltries  for  sale,  and  from  these  posts  the  hired  trappers 
were  sent  out  to  operate.  This  system  broke  down  be 
cause  it  required,  first  of  all,  that  the  company  maintain 
ing  the  posts  should  keep  up  its  stock  of  goods  used  in 
trading,  and  second,  that  the  company  should  maintain 
adequate  means  of  defense  at  each  post.  Ashley  decided 
that  the  thing  to  do  was  "to  use  white  men  for  the  work 
of  trapping  and  to  substitute  the  annual  rendezvous  for 
the  established  post."  In  other  words,  the  trapper  was 
to  supplant  the  trader.  Once  a  year  the  trappers  operat 
ing  in  a  given  district  were  to  gather  at  a  certain  place 
and  turn  in  the  catch  which  they  had  made  during  the 


MISSOURI  AND   THE   FAR  WEST  177 

year.  The  company  would  gather  up  these  catches  on 
its  way  downstream  and  dispose  of  them  at  St.  Louis. 
Ashley  was  not  the  real  inventor  of  this  scheme,  as  it 
had  been  used  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  and  even 
by  the  American  Fur  Company  in  1821  and  1822.  But 
he  developed  it  on  a  large  scale,  and  for  that  reason  special 
mention  should  be  made  of  his  part  in  getting  it  generally 
established. 

Under  Ashley  a  new  method  of  transportation  in  the  (c)  The  Pack 
fur  trade  was  inaugurated.  As  long  as  the  fur  trader  n 
confined  himself  to  the  upper  Missouri  River  he  made  his 
way  by  boat,  employing  the  keel  boat,  the  mackinaw,  and 
the  bull  boat.  The  route  which  Ashley's  company  took 
to  the  west  was  not  along  navigable  rivers  and  hence 
they  could  not  make  use  of  the  usual  means  of  trans 
portation.  The  Platte  River  has  been  described  as  a  river 
one  thousand  miles  long  and  six  inches  deep.  It  was  not 
navigable  even  for  the  boats  that  drew  the  lightest  draft, 
but  it  could  be  followed  by  horse  and  mule  pack  trains, 
and  that  was  the  method  used  by  Ashley  in  his  famous 
trip  of  1824. 

By  1830  Ashley  had  amassed  a   considerable   fortune   (d)  Ashley 
and  soon  thereafter  retired  from  the  Rocky  Mountain  in  Politics 
Fur  Company  to  devote  himself  to  politics.     From  1831 
to  1837  he  served  in  Congress,  where  on  account  of  his 
wide  knowledge  of  the  western  country  he  was  able  to 
exercise  considerable  influence.     At  the  time  of  his  death 
in  1838  he  was  probably,  next  to  Benton,  the  best  known 
and  most  influential  man  in  Missouri. 

Although  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company  was  in  3.  impor- 
operation  only  twelve  years,  it  accomplished  much  that   R^0** 
was  of  very  great  importance  in  the  history  of  the  West.   Mountain 
"In  pushing  out  to  the  Rockies,  it  opened  a  new  field  for  p^n^in^he 
the  fur  trade,  which  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  fruitful   Development 
in  the  West,  and  it  contributed  greatly  to  the  geograph-  oftheWest 
ical   knowledge   of   the    country.      The    whole    country 
around  the  sources  of  the  Platte,  the  Green,  the  Yellow- 


i78 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


American 

Fur 

Company 

i.  John 
Jacob  Astor 


stone,  and  the  Snake  rivers,  and  in  the  region  around 
Great  Salt  Lake  was  opened  up  by  it.  It  discovered 
Great  Salt  Lake  and  also  South  Pass.  It  was  the  first 
to  travel  from  Great  Salt  Lake  southwesterly  to  southern 
California,  the  first  to  cross  the  Sierras  and  the  deserts 
of  Utah  and  Nevada  between  California  and  Great  Salt 
Lake,  and  the  first,  so  far  as  is  known,  to  travel  by  land  up 
the  Pacific  coast  from  San  Francisco  to  the  Columbia. 

"But  perhaps  the  most  important  service  which  the 
company  rendered  to  the  country  was  as  a  school  for  the 
education  of  those  who  were  later  to  assist  the  Govern 
ment  in  the  explorations  of  the  West.  It  was  to  old 
members  and  employees  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur 
Company  that  the  Government  looked  mainly  for  its 
guides  when  it  entered  these  regions  for  the  first  time." 

One  other  company  operating  from  St.  Louis  requires 
our  attention  here,  and  that  is  the  American  Fur  Com 
pany.  It  had  been  organized  in  1808  by  John  Jacob 
Astor,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  had  come  to  America 
in  1783  with  some  musical  instruments  to  sell.  Shortly 
after  arriving  he  went  to  New  York  and  soon  became 
the  greatest  fur  merchant  in  this  country.  The  Lewis 
and  Clark  expedition  revealed  to  him  the  vast  possi 
bilities  of  the  fur  trade  in  the  far  Northwest,  and  he  pre 
pared  to  extend  his  operations,  which  were  already  exten 
sive,  into  that  region.  He  therefore  secured  in  1808  a 
charter  from  the  State  of  New  York  for  the  American 
Fur  Company  and  proceeded  to  enter  this  new  field.1 

Into  the  history  of  the  founding  of  Astoria  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Columbia,  and  its  disastrous  end  on  account  of  the 
War  of  1812,  we  cannot  go  here.  It  was  this  same  com 
pany,  however,  still  under  the  direction  of  Astor,  that 
opened  up  an  establishment  in  St.  Louis  in  1822,  in  serious 

1  As  far  as  this  company  operated  in  the  far  Northwest,  it  was 
known  as  the  Pacific  Fur  Company.  The  term  "  American  Fur 
Company"  was  used  to  include  all  of  the  different  fur  trading  ac 
tivities  of  Astor. 


MISSOURI  AND  THE   FAR  WEST  179 

opposition  to  the  traders  there.  Owing  to  this  bitter  2.  Monopoly 
opposition,  Astor  decided  that  the  best  thing  to  do  was 
to  crush  out  as  many  of  his  rivals  as  he  could  and  to  buy 
up  the  rest  and  consolidate  them  with  the  American  Fur 
Company ;  and  in  the  course  of  the  next  ten  or  twelve 
years  this  was  what  he  did.  As  a  result,  the  American 
Fur  Company  came  to  be  a  great  monopoly  operating  in  a 
vast  territory  west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  because  of  its 


HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  FUR  COMPANY  AT  ST.  Louis,  1835 

From  Stevens'  Missouri,  the  Center  State,  by  permission  of  the  Missouri 
Historical  Society. 

methods  and  practices  it  was  most  bitterly  hated  by  every 
trapper  in  that  region. 

In  1834  Astor  retired  from  the  American  Fur  Company,    3-  Pratte, 
and  the  western  department  of  the  company  was  sold  to  an^ut 
Pratte,  Chouteau  and  Company,  a  firm  made  up  of  St.    Company 
Louis  traders.     Although  there  were  other  concerns  in 
the   same  field,   this   firm   continued  to  control  a  large 
part   of   the   western   fur   business   until   its  retirement 
about  1860. 

But  some  time  before  1860  the  fur  trade  at  St.  Louis  Decline  of 
had  begun  to  decline.     The  demand  for  beaver  was  no  * 
longer  so  great,  owing  to  the  use  that  was  being  made  by  1860 
of   silk   in   the   making   of   hats.      Moreover,  the   more 
valuable   fur-bearing   animals   were    being   exterminated 
in  the  field  of  the  St.  Louis  traders,  and  the  trade  was 


i8o 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Revival 
since  1890 


i.  New 
Methods 


2.  Auction 
Sales 


diverted  from  St.  Louis  to  other  cities  more  conveniently 
located  as  places  of  collection  and  transshipment. 

No  record  of  the  volume  of  the  fur  business  at  St. 
Louis  prior  to  1869  was  kept,  but  it  has  been  estimated 
that  the  average  annual  value  of  the  furs  brought  to 

that  city  from  1808  to  1847 
was  between  $200,000  and 
$300,000. 

Between  1860  and  1890 
the  fur  trade  at  St.  Louis 
was  at  a  standstill,  but 
since  1890  it  has  mounted 
up  again  very  rapidly.  In 
1897  the  fur  trade  amounted 
to  about  $1,000,000  ;  in  1901, 
$4,000,000;  and  in  1917, 
$17,000,000. 

This  revival  has  been  due 
largely  to  the  new  methods 
that  have  been  employed  in 
exploiting  the  fur  resources 
of  the  country.  For  some 
time  the  six  or  seven  large  fur 

firms  in  St,  Louis  have  been  issuing  hundreds  of  thou 
sands  of  price  lists  every  season  and  sending  them  out  to 
all  parts  of  the  country.  In  this  way  they  solicit  directly 
from  the  trapper  and  the  local  trader  the  furs  which  they 
have  to  sell.  As  a  result,  furs  are  shipped  from  practically 
every  village  and  town  in  the  United  States  directly  to 
these  firms  in  St.  Louis. 

But  the  most  important  factor  in  the  extraordinary 
growth  of  the  fur  trade  in  the  last  few  years  has  been  the 
auction  sales  inaugurated  in  1913  by  Funsten  Brothers 
and  Company,  an  old  established  fur  firm  in  St.  Louis. 
In  addition  to  buying  furs  and  selling  them  from  day  to 
day  or  week  to  week  as  other  firms  in  the  city  are  doing, 
they  have  been  acting  for  the  past  three  or  four  years  as 


PIERRE  CHOUTEAU 

Grandson  of  Laclede,  the  founder 
of  St.  Louis,  and  prominent  in  the 
fur  trade  of  St.  Louis  in  the  thirties 
and  forties.  From  Houck's  History 
of  Missouri. 


MISSOURI  AND   THE  FAR  WEST  181 

brokers,  receiving  furs  from  shippers  and  selling  them 
on  commission  for  these  shippers  at  great  open  auction 
sales  held  three  times  a  year.  All  furs  thus  put  up  for 
sale  go  to  the  highest  bidder  without  the  slightest  col 
lusion  in  the  fixing  of  prices.  The  three  auction  sales  of 
this  company  for  1917  aggregated  more  than  $10,000,000, 
the  one  in  January  running  over  $3,000,000,  that  in 
April  over  $4,000,000,  and  that  in  October  reaching 
$3,375,000.  These  sales,  together  with  those  made  by 
this  firm  and  others  from  day  to  day,  ran  the  sum  total 
of  the  fur  sales  for  St.  Louis  for  1917  up  to  more  than 
$17,000,000. 

Through   this   recent  revival  and  development  of  the   3.  st.  Louis, 
fur  trade,  St    Louis  has  not  only  been  restored  to  its   ^  ^futrhe 
primacy  among  the  fur  markets  of  this  country,  but  it   World" 
has  also  won  for  itself  the  title  of  the  "Fur  City  of  the 
World."     The  shutting  up  of  the  great  fur  market  at 
Leipsic,  Germany,  and   the   cutting   down   of   the   sales 
of  the  fur  market  at  London  on  account  of  the  present 
war,  have  contributed  greatly  toward  making  St.  Louis 
the  greatest  fur  center  in  the  world.     Whether  the  re 
sumption  of  peace  will  materially  affect  its  newly  acquired 
position  remains  to  be  seen.     The  fur  dealers  of  that  place 
are  nevertheless  confident  that  the  city  will  be  able  to 
retain  its  primacy. 

2.    STEAMBOAT  TRAFFIC  ON  THE  MISSOURI  RIVER 

The  development  of  the  fur  trade  in  Missouri  in  the   Early 
thirties  and  forties  on  so  large  a  scale  as  has  just  been 
described  was  made  possible  by  the  great  improvements  portation 
in  the  means  of  river  transportation  that  occurred  during 
that  period,  the  most  important  of  which  was  the  steam 
boat. 

Prior  to  the  advent  of  the  steamboat  all  river  trans-   i.  Canoe 
portation  was  by  means  of  the  canoe,  the  mackinaw,  the 
bull  boat,  and  the  keel  boat.     The  canoe  was  the  simplest 
of  all  the  river  craft.     It  was  a  dugout,  usually  being 


182 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Macki 
naw 


hollowed  out  of  a  cottonwood  log.     It  was  from  fifteen 
to  eighteen  feet  long  and  was  generally  manned  by  three 

men,  one  to 
steer  and  two 
to  paddle.  It 
was  used 
chiefly  for 
local  busi 
ness,  though 
occasionally 
employed  for 
long  trips. 

The  mackinaw  was  a  flat  boat  built  entirely  of  timber. 
It  was  pointed  at  both  ends  and  was  sometimes  from  forty 
to  fifty  feet  long.  Its  crew  consisted  of  five  men  —  one 
steersman  and  four  oarsmen.  This  boat  was  generally 
used  in  downstream  navigation,  and  when  it  reached  its 
destination  it  was  usually  sold  for  lumber. 


FLAT  BOAT 


BULL  BOATS 

From  Stevens'  Missouri,  ike  Center  State,  by  permission  of  the  Missouri 
Historical  Society. 

3.  Bull  Boat  The  bull  boat  was  made  of  buffalo  bull  hides  sewed 
together  and  stretched  over  a  frame  of  poles,  and  was  from 
twelve  to  thirty  feet  long.  Because  of  its  light  draft,  it 
was  adapted  to  shallow  streams.  It  was  propelled  by 
means  of  poles  and  required  only  two  men  to  handle  it. 


MISSOURI   AND   THE   FAR  WEST 


183 


The  keel  boat  was  from  sixty  to  seventy  feet  long,  with  4-  Keel  Boat 
a  keel  running  from  bow  to  stern,  and  was  the  latest  im 
provement  in  river  transportation  facilities  prior  to  the 
steamboat.  On  account  of  its  size  it  was  capable  of 
carrying  a  larger  cargo  than  the  other  boats  that  have  been 
described.  It  was  usually  propelled  by  means  of  a  cor- 
delle.  This  consisted  of  a  line  nearly  1000  feet  long,  one 
end  of  which  was  fastened  to  the  top  of  a  thirty-foot  mast 
in  the  center  of  the  boat.  The  other  end  of  this  line  was 
in  the  hands  of  from  twenty  to  thirty  men  on  the  shore, 


KEEL  BOAT  WITH  CORDELLE,  SAIL,  AND  POLES 

As  used  by  pioneer  Missourians.     From  Stevens'  Missouri,  the  Center  State, 
by  permission  of  the  Missouri  Historical  Society. 

who  by  pulling  moved  the  boat  upstream.  Cordelling 
was  always  more  or  less  difficult  and  in  places  it  was  ab 
solutely  impossible.  At  such  points  poles  or  oars  were 
used.  Sails  were  also  used  at  times  very  effectively. 
Notwithstanding  the  difficulty  with  which  this  boat  was 
propelled,  it  was  employed  more  extensively  than  any 
other  kind  for  long  distance  voyages  upstream  prior  to 
the  invention  of  the  steamboat,  and  in  fact  it  continued 
to  be  used  along  with  the  steamboat  for  many  years 
after  the  latter  appeared.  The  average  day's  voyage 
for  the  keel  boat  was  from  twelve  to  fifteen  miles. 


1 84 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Steamboat 
on  the  Mis 
souri  River 

i.  First 
Appearance 


2.  The 
Yellowstone 


The  steamboat  made  its  first  appearance  in  the  West  in 
1811,  when  one  was  launched  in  the  Ohio  River  at  Pitts 
burgh.  Six  years  later  it  made  its  way  up  the  Mississippi 
to  St.  Louis,  and  in  1819  it  reached  Franklin,  Howard 
County,  on  the  Missouri.  But,  owing  to  the  peculiari 
ties  of  the  Missouri  River,  most  people  were  extremely 
doubtful  for  some  time  as  to  whether  the  steamboat 
could  be  used  with  any  degree  of  success  on  that  stream. 
The  voyage  of  1819  was  not  an  unqualified  success, 
although  it  demonstrated  that  steamboat  navigation  of 
the  Missouri  was  a  possibility.  Not  until  1831,  however, 


PIONEER  STEAMBOAT  ON  THE  MISSOURI 

From  Stevens'  Missouri,  the  Center  State,  by  permission  of  the  Missouri 
Historical  Society. 

was  it  definitely  proved  that  long  trips  up  the  Missouri 
could  be  made  with  comparative  safety.  In  that  year 
the  American  Fur  Company  sent  a  steamboat,  called  the 
Yellowstone,  far  up  the  Missouri  River,  and  although 
this  boat  did  not  reach  the  Yellowstone  River,  as  was 
intended,  the  company  was  satisfied  with  the  experiment 
and  therefore  decided  to  discard  the  keel  boat  service  on 
the  Missouri,  and  to  use  the  steamboat  in  its  place. 

The  first  Yellowstone  is  a  good  example  of  the  early 
river  steamboats.  It  was  130  feet  long,  with  a  beam  of 
19  feet  and  a  hold  of  six  feet.  It  was  propelled  by  side 
wheels  and  had  only  one  engine.  Later  steamboats  were 
propelled  by  one  wheel  at  the  stern  instead  of  two  at  the 


MISSOURI   AND   THE   FAR  WEST  185 

sides.  The  freight  storage  was  in  the  hold,  but  boilers, 
engine,  and  cabins  were  above  the  main  deck.  The 
only  fuel  that  was  burned  was  wood,  and  for  a  time  this 
was  cut  by  the  crew  as  the  boat  proceeded  on  her  voyage. 
Later,  as  trips  became  more  regular,  wood  yards  were 
established  at  various  points  along  the  river.  Early  steam 
boats  ran  only  in  the  daytime,  unless  there  was  bright 
moonlight  at  night.  The  danger  from  snags  and  bars 
was  always  very  great,  and  particularly  so  at  night.  The 
pilot  was  by  far  the  most  important  member  of  the 
crew. 

It  is  obvious  that  the  steamboat  not  only  contributed 
to  the  development  of  the  fur  trade  of  Missouri,  but  also 
afforded  a  means  of  establishing  close  connections  be 
tween  Missouri  and  the  Northwest  in  other  ways,  and  of 
extending  Missouri's  influence  in  that  region. 

Within  thirty  years  after  the  Yellowstone  made  its  3.  Disap- 
trip  to  the  upper  course  of  the  Missouri  River,  the  steam-  ^^^ 
boat  traffic  on  that  stream  began  to  decline.  The  cause  Missouri 
for  this  decline  was  the  rapid  development  of  the  rail 
roads  west  of  the  Missouri.  The  struggle  between  the 
railroad  and  the  steamboat  on  the  Missouri  began  with 
the  completion  of  the  Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph  Railroad  in 
1859  and  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  from  St.  Louis  to  Kansas 
City  in  1866.  These  two  roads  touched  the  Missouri 
River  at  two  points  in  western  Missouri,  and  although 
they  did  not  take  away  from  the  steamboats  the  upper 
Missouri  River  traffic,  they  affected  from  the  first  the 
traffic  along  the  lower  course,  especially  below  St.  Joseph. 
Between  1866  and  1887  numerous  other  railroads  running 
east  and  west  were  built  out  to  the  Missouri  River  north 
of  the  Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph.  Among  these  roads 
were  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern,  the  Sioux  City 
and  Pacific,  the  Union  Pacific,  the  Northern  Pacific,  and 
the  Great  Northern.  As  point  after  point  was  taken  by 
the  railroads  along  the  Missouri  River,  the  steamboat 
became  less  and  less  important,  and  finally  it  disappeared 


1  86  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

after  the  Great  Northern  entered  Helena,  Montana,  in 


4.  Reap-  In  recent  years,  however,  the  steamboat  has  reappeared 

i?  Recent       on  ^e  Missouri  River,  thanks  to  the  effort  of  certain 
Years  enterprising  business  men  of  Kansas  City.     In  1912  these 

men  induced  Congress  to  resume  its  appropriations  for 
the  improvement  of  the  Missouri  River  from  Kansas 
City  to  its  mouth.  The  plan  that  is  being  followed  con 
templates  a  permanent  channel  of  six  feet  minimum 
depth,  at  a  cost  of  $20,000,000,  but  this  plan  was  not 
adopted  by  Congress  until  Kansas  City  had  raised  by 
popular  subscription  the  sum  of  $1,200,000  and  had  begun 
freight  service  on  the  river  with  a  fleet  of  modern  boats 
and  barges,  and  had  erected  well-equipped  terminals  at 
Kansas  City  and  St.  Louis.  Congress  has  already  ap 
propriated  (1918)  nearly  $8,000,000  of  the  $20,000,000 
contemplated,  and  75  miles  of  the  permanent  channel 
have  already  been  built. 

The  Kansas  City  Missouri  Navigation  Company, 
organized  in  1910,  with  a  capital  of  more  than  $1,000,000, 
has  been  maintaining  regular  service  each  week  between 
Kansas  City  and  St.  Louis  with  a  fleet  of  two  modern 
tow  boats  and  nine  barges.  There  is  also  a  small  line 
of  boats  operating  between  Omaha  and  Decatur,  and 
another  small  line  in  the  vicinity  of  Bismarck,  North 
Dakota. 

The  steamboat  is  still  in  use  on  the  Mississippi  River, 
but  not  on  so  large  a  scale  as  in  earlier  days.  Here,  too, 
the  railroad  has  cut  down  the  river  traffic,  but  not  to  the 
same  extent  that  it  has  on  the  Missouri  River. 

1  The  following  steamboat  arrivals  by  years  at  Fort  Benton, 
Montana,  are  suggestive  as  to  the  influence  of  the  railroads  on  the 
steamboat  traffic  on  the  Missouri  River.  In  1859  one  steamboat 
arrived  at  Fort  Benton  ;  in  1865,  8;  in  1869,  24;  in  1874,  6;  in 
1878,  46;  in  1883,  21  ;  in  1888,  3.  The  increase  in  the  number 
of  arrivals  in  1878  is  interesting,  but  thereafter  the  steamboat 
traffic  on  the  upper  Missouri  tended  on  the  whole  to  decrease  until 
it  stopped  altogether  after  1888. 


MISSOURI   AND   THE   FAR  WEST 


3.  THE  SANTA  FE  AND  OREGON  TRAILS 


i87 


Contemporaneous   with   the   steamboat   and   to   some  The  Over- 
extent  even  before  it,  other  connections  between  Missouri  landR°utes 
and  the  Far  West  were  established  by  means  of  overland 
routes  which  made  it  possible  for  Missouri  to  influence 
still  further  the  development  of  the  regions  that  lay  beyond 
her.     The  most  important  of  these  overland  routes  were 
the  Santa  Fe  and  the  Oregon  trails.     Both  started  from 
Independence,  Missouri,  the  one  extending  in  a  south 
westerly  direction  to  Santa  Fe  for  a  distance  of  775  miles, 


THE  PRINCIPAL  WESTERN  TRAILS 

and  the  other  in  a  westerly  and  northwesterly  direction 
to  Fort  Vancouver  near  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River, 
for  a  distance  of  2020  miles.  Along  these  two  trails 
traders  and  trappers  passed  back  and  forth  in  the  pursuit 
of  their  traffic,  and  in  the  course  of  time  colonists  from 
Missouri  and  from  states  east  of  Missouri  made  their 
way  along  these  great  highways  to  distant  regions  in  the 
Far  West. 

"To  William  Becknell  of  Missouri  belongs  the  honor  Early  Santa 
of  being  the  founder  of  the  Santa  Fe  trade  and  the  father  F*  ExPedi- 
of  the  Santa  Fe  Trail. "     This  high  honor  has  been  awarded 
him  because  he  was  the  first  to  take  a  successful  trading 
expedition  to  Santa  Fe.     This  he  did  in  1821-22. 


i88 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


i.  Santa  Fe 


2.  First 
Expedition 


3.  Vial's 
Journey, 
1792-^3 


But  long  before  Becknell's  successful  expedition,  men 
had  been  passing  back  and  forth  between  the  Missouri 
River  and  Santa  Fe  in  various  kinds  of  enterprises.  Santa 
Fe  had  been  founded  by  the  Spanish  some  time  between 
1609  and  1617  and  is  therefore  one  of  the  oldest  towns 
in  the  United  States.  It  is  beautifully  situated  on  a 
small  tributary  of  the  Rio  Grande,  twelve  miles  east 
of  that  river,  and  it  probably  did  not  contain  more 
than  3000  inhabitants  during  the  period  of  its  most 
prosperous  trade  with  the  United  States.  Besides 
Santa  Fe  there  were  other  little  towns  along  the 
Rio  Grande  for  several  hundred  miles  north  and  south 
of  Santa  Fe,  the  population  of  which  was  densely  ignorant 
and  very  backward  in  all  forms  of  industry.  Notwith 
standing  the  conditions  that  prevailed  in  New  Mexico, 
Santa  Fe  was  deemed  a  good  market  for  the  commodities 
that  traders  from  Missouri  had  to  sell,  and  also  a  good 
center  from  which  to  obtain  furs,  horses,  mules,  and 
especially  specie ; l  hence  the  rise  of  the  Santa  Fe  trade 
and  the  building  of  the  Santa  Fe  Trail. 

The  first  known  expedition  from  the  upper  Mississippi 
country  to  the  neighborhood  of  Santa  Fe  for  trading  pur 
poses  occurred  shortly  before  1763.  Some  French  traders 
took  a  lot  of  merchandise  by  way  of  the  Arkansas  River 
to  a  point  in  the  Mexico  Mountains,  probably  near  the 
site  of  the  present  town  of  Pueblo,  Colorado,  and  there, 
erecting  a  temporary  store,  they  opened  up  a  trade  with 
the  Indians  and  the  Spaniards  of  New  Mexico. 

It  would  seem  that  during  the  period  of  the  Spanish 
regime  in  Upper  Louisiana  there  would  have  been  some 
effort  to  establish  trade  relations  between  Santa  Fe  and 
the  settlements  in  the  Missouri  country,  inasmuch  as 
they  were  both  under  Spanish  control.  But  none  was 
made  so  far  as  we  know.  It  is  true  that  in  1792-93 
Pedro  Vial  was  sent  by  the  Spanish  authorities  in  New 

1  Prior  to  the  establishing  of  the  Santa  Fe  Trail,  foreign  goods 
were  brought  into  New  Mexico  from  far  distant  Vera  Cruz. 


MISSOURI   AND   THE   FAR  WEST  189 

Mexico  to  open  up  a  direct  route  between  Santa  Fe  and 
St.  Louis,  and  that  in  making  his  way  to  St.  Louis  he  went 
along  substantially  the  same  route  that  afterward  became 
celebrated  as  the  Santa  Fe  Trail.  But  no  commercial 
relations  arose  between  the  two  cities  as  the  result  of 
Vial's  journey. 

Between  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  in   1803    and  the   4-  imprison- 
independence  of  Mexico  from  Spain  in  1821,  there  were   American 
several  attempts  to  establish  commerc'al  relations  between  Traders  in 
Missouri  and  Santa  Fe.     But  practically  every  American 
trader  who  sought  to   establish  such   relations  was  put 
in   prison   by   the   Spanish   authorities   and   kept   there. 
"The   Spanish   authorities   dared   not   let   the   prisoners 
return  to  their  American  homes  because  it  was  recognized 
that  the  knowledge  carried  back  with  them  would  en 
courage   many  future  expeditions  resulting  in  American 
expansion  southwestward  and  American  control  of  the 
intervening  tribes  of  Indians." 

It  was  during  this  period  of  nearly  twenty  years  (1803-  5-  Pike's 
21)  that  Pike  made  his  famous  semi-official  expedition 
to  the  Southwest  in  1806-07.  He  was  ordered  to  visit 
certain  Indian  tribes  in  the  western  and  southwestern 
parts  of  the  newly  acquired  territory  of  Louisiana,  and  he 
may  have  had  unwritten  orders  to  go  to  Santa  Fe.  At 
any  rate  he  proceeded  as  far  as  the  Rio  Grande  and  on  the 
west  bank  of  that  river  he  built  a  redoubt,  over  which  he 
raised  an  American  flag.  For  this  he  was  arrested  by 
the  Spanish  authorities  and  taken  to  Santa  Fe  and  later 
to  Chihuahua.  It  is  declared  by  some  that  he  had  done 
this  in  order  that  he  might  get  into  Santa  Fe  and  find 
out  what  the  conditions  were  there.1 

After  his  return  to  the  United  States  in  1807,  Pike 
wrote  and  published  an  account  of  his  journey.  This 

1  It  is  rather  significant  that  at  the  same  time  that  Pike  was 
carrying  on  his  expedition  into  Spanish  New  Mexico,  Malgores 
was  conducting  a  similar  expedition  from  Santa  Fe  into  the  United 
States  in  behalf  of  Spain. 


i  go 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


6.  Mexican 
Revolution, 
1821 


account  "showed  how  possible  was  the  route  from  Mis 
souri  to  the  Spanish  settlements  and  became  the  inspira 
tion  of  many  of  the  later  traders." 

Several  Americans  attempted  in  the  next  few  years 
to  get  into  Santa  Fe  with  their  wares,  but  they  were 
imprisoned  just  as  others  before  them  had  been.  In  1821, 
however,  a  change  came  over  the  situation  because  of 
the  success  of  the  Mexican  revolution  against  Spain  in 
that  year.  "Mexican  independence  meant  at  least  a 
partial  reversal  of  the  former  Spanish  policy  of  exclu- 
siveness  and  suspicious  intolerance  of  foreigners,"  and 


A  MISSOURI  PACK  TRAIN  ON  ITS  WAY  TO  SANTA  FE,  1820 

From  Stevens'  Missouri,  the  Center  State,  by  permission  of  the  Missouri 
Historical  Society. 


under  these  conditions  it  was  then  deemed  possible  to 
establish  commercial  relations  between  the  United  States 
and  New  Mexico,  something  that  had  hitherto  been 
impossible. 

Beckneil's          That,  at  least,  was  the  view  of  William  Becknell  of  Mis- 
xpe  itions,   sour;    who  started  from  his  home  in  Franklin,  Howard 

Io2I— 22 

County,  in  September,  1821,  with  between  twenty  and 
thirty  associates,  for  Santa  Fe.  He  had  advertised  the 
proposed  expedition  in  the  Missouri  Intelligencer  for  June 
25,  182 1 ,  in  the  form  of  "An  Article  for  the  government  of 
a  Company  of  men  destined  westward  for  the  purpose  of 
trading  for  horses  and  mules  and  catching  wild  animals 


MISSOURI   AND   THE   FAR  WEST  191 

of  every  description."  It  would  seem  from  this  and  other 
evidence  that  he  planned  originally  both  a  trading  and 
a  trapping  expedition.  He  and  his  fellow  adventurers 
disposed  of  the  merchandise  which  they  had  brought 
with  them  at  "a  handsome  profit"  and  returned  home  in 
January,  1822. 

About  a  month  after  Becknell's  expedition  set  out, 
another  one  was  undertaken  under  the  direction  of  Major 
Fowler  of  Kentucky  and  Hugh  Glenn  of  Cincinnati, 
who  started  from  Glenn's  trading  post  in  what  is  now 
Oklahoma.  During  the  following  year,  1822,  three  dif 
ferent  parties  left  Missouri  for  Santa  Fe,  one  of  which 
was  conducted  by  Becknell  himself.  This  second  journey 
of  Becknell  was  of  historic  importance  for  two  reasons : 
first,  the  route  that  was  followed  was  somewhat  more 
direct  than  the  one  taken  the  year  before ;  and  second, 
wagons  were  made  use  of  in  the  Santa  Fe  trade  for  the 
first  time.  Soon  thereafter  caravans  passed  regularly 
every  year  along  the  trail  from  Missouri  to  Santa  Fe. 
It  was  because  of  the  financial  success  of  Becknell's  second 
expedition,  and  because  of  the  route  he  followed  and  the 
use  he  made  of  wagons,  that  he  has  been  given  the  honor 
of  being  called  "  the  founder  of  the  Santa  Fe  trade  and 
the  father  of  the  Santa  Fe  Trail." 

Although  the  Santa  Fe  trade  developed  very  rapidly   Difficulties 
after  1822,  it  was  beset  by  two  very  serious  difficulties:   |n  Develop- 
first,  attacks  upon  the  caravans  by  the  Indians  ;  second,   Santa  Fe 
exorbitant  tariffs  and  indefinite  customs  regulations  im-   Trade 
posed  upon  traders  by  Mexico. 

The  Indian  attacks  upon  the  caravans  were  very  annoy-   i.  Indian 
ing   and   were   sometimes   very   serious.     Generally   the  Attacks 
Indians  attempted  nothing  more  than  stampeding  and 
driving  off  the  horses  and  mules  that   belonged   to   the 
caravans ;   but  occasionally  they  attacked  and  killed  the 
traders  themselves.     The  only  authority  to  which  the 
traders  could  appeal  for  protection  was  the  United  States 
Government ;    but  in  spite  of  the  interest  that  Senator 


I92 


HISTORY   OF  MISSOURI 


(a)  Appeal 
to  the 
United 
States  Gov 
ernment  for 
Protection 


Benton  took  in  the  matter,  practically  nothing  was  done 
by  Congress  to  provide  the  protection  that  was  needed. 
It  is  true  that  in  1829  four  companies  of  unmounted 
infantry  were  ordered  by  President  Jackson  to  accompany 
the  Santa  Fe  traders  as  far  as  the  boundaries  of  New 
Mexico,  and  in  1834  and  1843  troops  escorted  the  traders 
in  a  similar  manner.  But  in  each  instance  the  military 
escort  was  powerless  to  assist  the  traders  against  the 
Indians  from  the  boundaries  of  New  Mexico  to  Santa 
Fe.  The  traders,  meanwhile,  finally  learned  that  the 


(b)  Organi 
zation  of  the 
Caravans 


AN  OVERLAND  TRAIN  ON  ITS  WAY  FROM  MISSOURI  TO  THE 
FAR  WEST 

From  Stevens'  Missouri,  the  Center  State,  by  permission  of  the  Missouri 
Historical  Society. 

only  way  in  which  adequate  protection  could  be  secured 
was  by  banding  together  in  one  strong  caravan  and  form 
ing  an  effective  semi-military  organization  of  their  own. 
By  so  doing  they  were  able  to  ward  off  the  attacks  of  the 
Indians,  and  after  1832  the  attention  of  Congress  was 
seldom  called  to  the  dangers  that  confronted  the  Santa 
Fe  traders. 

The  organization  of  the  caravans  for  protection  against 
the  Indians  was  usually  effected  at  Council  Grove,  a 
point  about  150  miles  west  of  Independence.  Here  the 
men  making  up  the  expedition  came  together  and  elected 
a  captain,  two  lieutenants,  a  marshal,  a  clerk,  a  pilot, 


MISSOURI   AND   THE   FAR  WEST  193 

a  court  of  three  members,  a  commander  of  the  guards, 
and  a  chaplain.  The  authority  of  the  captain  was  very 
slight,  his  functions  being  limited  to  fixing  the  hours  of 
starting  and  stopping,  and  the  location  of  the  camp. 
"  There  was  a  notable  absence  of  anything  like  discipline 
except  in  the  matter  of  guards.  Guard  duty  was  relent 
lessly  enforced,  and  no  members  of  the  party  except  officers 
and  invalids  were  exempt."  Notwithstanding  this  lack 
of  authority  on  the  part  of  the  officers,  and  notwithstand 
ing  the  great  variety  in  the  military  equipment  of  the 


ARRIVAL  OF  AN  OVERLAND  TRAIN  AT  SANTA  FE 

From  Stevens'  Missouri,  the  Center  State,  by  permission  of  the  Missouri 
Historical  Society. 

traders,  the  caravan  was  generally  able  to  protect  itself 
against  attacks. 

The  caravan  made  a  very  picturesque  scene  as  it  moved 
along  the  trail.  The  wagons  had  deep  beds  with  sides 
that  sloped  outward  toward  the  top,  and  with  heavy 
canvas  covers  stretched  over  bows  that  extended  from 
one  side  of  the  bed  to  the  other.  In  the  early  days  of 
the  traffic  along  the  trail,  each  wagon  had  a  capacity  of 
about  a  ton  and  a  half  and  was  drawn  by  eight  mules  or 
the  same  number  of  oxen.  Later,  wagons  with  nearly 
double  the  capacity  of  the  first  ones  were  used  and  were 
drawn  by  ten  or  twelve  mules  or  oxen.  These  wagons 
were  significantly  called  "  prairie  schooners."  Mules  were 


194 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Mexican 
Tariffs  and 
Customs 
Regulations 


used  before  oxen ;  but  in  1829  it  was  found  that  oxen 
were  somewhat  better  adapted  to  the  work  and  after  that 
time  were  more  generally  used  than  mules.1 

But,  as  has  been  said,  the  traders  were  not  only  beset 
by  Indian  dangers ;  they  were  also  harassed  by  the  high 
tariffs  and  uncertain  and  changing  customs  regulations 
of  the  Mexicans.  Complaints  came  frequently  from  the 
traders  about  the  heavy  duties  that  were  imposed  upon 
them  by  the  Mexicans,  and  sometimes  it  was  reported 
that  certain  articles  were  altogether  prohibited  from  being 
brought  into  the  country  by  the  traders.  Moreover, 
there  was  great  uncertainty  in  these  matters ;  the  tariff 
schedules  and  the  customs  regulations  of  one  year  might 
be  changed  without  warning  the  following  year,  and  the 
traders  never  knew  what  to  expect  from  the  Mexican 
officials.  Besides  this,  as  the  demand  in  Santa  Fe  for 
goods  made  in  other  countries  than  the  United  States 
increased,  American  traders  found  that  they  were  forced  to 
pay  two  duties  upon  these  foreign  goods,  first,  when  they 
came  into  American  ports,  and  second,  when  they  were 
taken  into  Mexico.  Requests  for  relief  were  frequently 
sent  from  the  traders  to  the  United  States  Government, 
but  for  a  long  time  nothing  definite  was  done.  Finally 
arrangements  were  made  for  "drawbacks"  in  the  case  of 
foreign  goods  passing  through  this  country  to  Santa  Fe. 

1  When  oxen  were  used,  a  day's  travel  on  the  trail  was  divided 
usually  into  two  drives  of  from  six  to  eight  hours  each.  The  first 
drive  began  as  soon  as  it  was  light  enough  to  see  and  continued 
until  about  noon,  when  the  wagons  were  corralled  and  the  cattle 
were  fed.  In  hot  weather  the  second  drive  did  not  begin  until 
about  three  or  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  was  continued 
until  nine  or  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening.  When  the  cattle  were 
unyoked  they  were  put  in  charge  of  a  night  herder,  whose  business 
it  was  to  keep  watch  over  them.  All  that  was  necessary  was  to 
keep  track  of  the  leader  of  the  herd,  and  that  was  not  at  all  difficult 
if  the  grass  was  plentiful.  If  the  grass  was  short,  the  herd  would 
often  wander  a  long  way  from  the  camp,  and  that  would  entail 
considerable  watchfulness  on  the  part  of  the  night  guard. 


MISSOURI  AND   THE   FAR  WEST  195 

But  very  shortly  after  this  last  arrangement  was  made 
the  United  States  acquired  New  Mexico,  and  then  all 
tariff  questions  and  customs  regulations  between  American 
traders  and  Santa  Fe  officials  disappeared. 

The  first  expedition  of  Becknell  in   1821   was  under-   Character  of 
taken  by  a  joint  stock  company.     Each  man  who  went  ^^fiaAe 
on   that  expedition   contributed   to   the   common   stock  and  its 
and  each  shared  proportionately  in  the  profits.     In  the  Value 
three  expeditions  of  1822,  it  seems  that  those  who  went 
did  not  form  stock  companies,  but  each  man  engaged  in 
business  on  his  own  account.     In  neither  of  the  expedi 
tions   of   1821   and    1822   were  there  any  employers   or 
employees  ;  all  were  traders.     But  after  1822  this  arrange-   i.  Traders 
ment  gave  way  to  another  in  which  those  going  on  the 
expeditions  were  divided  into  two  classes,   the  traders 
who  owned  the  merchandise,  and  the  employees  who  acted 
as  drivers,  hunters,  and  salesmen  for  the  traders.     As  the 
years  passed  the  number  of  employees  in  a  given  expedi 
tion  increased  and  the  number  of  employers  or  traders 
decreased.     Whereas  in  the  six  years  between  1822  and 
1828  the  number  of  men  on  an  annual  expedition  averaged 
about  ninety,  two  thirds  of  whom  were  traders  and  one 
third  employees,  in  the  six  years  from  1837  to  1843  the 
number  of  men  on  an  annual  trip  generally  amounted  to 
175,  of  whom  only  one  third  were  traders  and  two  thirds 
were  employees. 

Most  of  the  men  who  went  on  these  expeditions,  whether 
as  traders  or  employees,  were  from  central  or  western 
Missouri.  Many  were  men  of  prominence  in  the  State, 
among  whom  were  M.  M.  Marmaduke,  later  governor  of 
the  State  ;  Colonel  Benjamin  Cooper  and  Major  Stephen 
Cooper  ;  Captain  Charles  Bent ;  Colonel  Richard  Gentry, 
who  lost  his  life  in  the  Seminole  war  in  Florida  in  1837  ; 
Major  Alphonse  Wetmore ;  and  Colonel  Benjamin  H. 
Reeves,  lieutenant  governor  of  Missouri.  Many  of  the 
men  who  went  on  these  expeditions  as  traders  continued 
their  business  in  Missouri  and  undertook  the  trips  as  extra 


ig6 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


enterprises  "between  the  more  important  periods  of  the 
year's  work  at  home." 

2.  Wares  The  goods  taken  to  Santa  Fe  by  these  traders  included 

almost  everything  needed  in  everyday  life.  According 
to  an  enumeration  made  in  1824,  they  included  the  fol 
lowing  :  "Cotton  goods,  consisting  of  coarse  and  fine 
cambrics,  calicoes,  domestic  shawls,  handkerchiefs,  steam- 
loom  shirtings,  and  cotton  hose  ;  a  few  woolen  goods,  con 
sisting  of  super  blues,  stroudings,  pelisse  cloth  and  shawls, 
crapes,  bombazettes ;  some  light  articles  of  cutlery,  a 
silk  shawl,  and  looking-glasses  ;  in  addition  to  these,  many 
other  articles  necessary  for  the  purpose  of  an  assortment." 
Notwithstanding  this  variety,  fully  one  half  of  the  cargo 
was  made  up  of  domestic  cottons.  Missourians  were 
accustomed  to  make  a  special  point  of  this  fact  when  they 
sought  to  secure  from  the  National  Government  protec 
tion  against  the  Indians  on  the  trail.  They  showed  that 
Missouri  was  not  alone  interested  in  the  Santa  Fe  trade. 
The  South  was  interested  because  it  raised  the  cotton ; 
the  North,  because  it  manufactured  cotton  cloth. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  Santa  Fe  expeditions  the  traders 
obtained  their  wares  from  merchants  in  Missouri ;  but  as 
the  years  passed  and  the  business  fell  into  the  hands  of 
fewer  and  fewer  traders,  it  became  the  practice  of  these 
traders  to  buy  their  wares  in  Philadelphia,  ship  them  to 
Missouri,  and  then  take  them  on  to  Santa  Fe. 

The  average  amount  of  merchandise  taken  to  Santa 
Fe  each  year  from  1822  to  1827  was  valued  at  about 
$50,000.  During  the  years  from  1828  to  1843  the  annual 
cargoes  averaged  in  value  about  $200,000.  And  for 
the  entire  period  from  1822  to  1843,  it  is  estimated 
that  more  than  $3,000,000  worth  of  goods  was  taken  to 
Santa  Fe. 

3.  Returns          In   return   for   these   commodities   which   the   traders 

took  to  Santa  Fe*  they  obtained  furs,  livestock,  and  specie. 
Raw  wool  and  sometimes  coarse  Mexican  blankets  were 
brought  back,  but  not  in  great  quantities.  The  commod- 


MISSOURI  AND   THE   FAR  WEST  197 

ities  that  were  brought  back  by  the  traders  were  of  great 
importance  to  Missouri.  The  principal  furs  that  came 
from  Santa  Fe  were  beaver  and  otter,  and  were  highly 
prized  in  the  St.  Louis  market.  "Of  nearly  as  much 
value  as  the  furs  and  of  much  greater  consequence  to 
Missouri  and  to  the  necessities  of  the  trader  were  the 
droves  of  livestock  brought  from  New  Mexico,  consisting 
of  horses,  jacks,  jennets,  and  large  numbers  of  mules. 
Indeed,  Missouri  apparently  owes  her  preeminence  in  the 
mule-raising  industry  to  the  early  impetus  received  from 
the  Santa  Fe  trade." 

"But  of  more  importance  than  either  the  furs  or  the 
livestock  brought  back  by  the  trader  was  the  specie." 
In  a  former  chapter  we  saw  how  Missourians  were  com 
pelled  in  early  days  to  rely  on  barter  or  to  make  use  of 
the  "wildcat"  currency  that  came  in  from  other  states. 
It  was  therefore  a  great  boon  to  the  State  to  have  a  stream 
of  coin  and  bullion  pouring  into  it  from  Santa  Fe.  It 
has  been  estimated  that  for  many  years  from  $100,000  to 
$200,000  in  coin  and  bullion,  in  addition  to  the  other 
commodities,  were  brought  into  Missouri  each  year. 

The  returns  to  the  traders  on  their  investments,  whether  4-  Profits 
in  the  form  of  furs,  livestock,  or  specie,  were  enough  to 
repay  them  for  their  trouble  and  risk  and  to  cover  the 
losses  that  were  sustained  from  Indian  depredations. 
Becknell  was  reported  to  have  made  a  profit  of  200  per 
cent  on  his  second  expedition  in  1822,  and  another  ex 
pedition  in  1824  is  said  to  have  yielded  returns  amounting 
to  300  per  cent  profit.  But  usually  the  profits  ran  from 
20  to  100  per  cent. 

The  Oregon  and  the  Santa  Fe  trails  differed  physically  Comparison 
in  several  respects.     In  the  first  place,  the  one  was  nearly  Qregona^ 
twice  as  long  as  the  other.     Moreover,  the  one  crossed  the  Santa  Fe 
the  Rockies,  while  the  other  was  confined  to  the  plains.    ' 
South  Pass,  where  the  Oregon  Trail  crossed  the  crest  of 
the  Rockies,  was  almost  half  way  between  the  beginning 
and  the  end  of  the  trail.     Again,  the  Oregon  Trail  was 


198 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


Origin  of 
the  Oregon 
Trail 


Common 
Starting 
Point  of  the 
Two  Trails 


never  surveyed,  while  the  Santa  Fe  Trail  was.  Both 
originated  through  the  spontaneous  use  of  travelers,  but  in 
1825  the  United  States  Government  undertook  a  survey 
of  the  Santa  Fe  Trail.  This  survey  was  nothing  more 
than  a  marking  of  the  route  and  did  not  include  the  build 
ing  of  a  road.1  It  did  not  follow  in  all  its  parts  the  route 
that  travelers  had  already  marked  out.  The  surveyors 
sought  to  go  around  places  that  were  more  or  less  difficult 
of  passage,  but  the  traders  declined  to  travel  along  these 
new  sections  marked  off  by  the  surveyors  and  stuck  to 
their  old  short  cuts  in  spite  of  the  difficulties  that  they 
encountered.  But  no  survey  of  any  sort  was  ever  made 
of  the  Oregon  Trail. 

The  history  of  the  Oregon  Trail  begins  with  the  fur 
trading  expeditions  to  and  from  Astoria  (Oregon)  in  1811- 
13.  After  that,  trappers  and  traders  as  they  passed 
back  and  forth  "  gradually  connected  the  more  feasible 
crossings  of  the  mountains  and  the  deserts"  that  had  been 
discovered;  so  that  "by  1843  there  was  a  well-defined, 
continuous  route  from  the  Missouri  River  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Kansas  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Columbia."  An  illustration  of  this  sort  of  growth  of  the 
trail  is  the  discovery  of  the  famous  South  Pass  in  1823 
by  the  agents  of  William  Ashley  of  Missouri,  who,  through 
the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company,  was  developing 
the  fur  trade  of  the  mountains.  The  discovery  of  this 
pass  greatly  facilitated  travel  across  the  mountains  and 
had  a  great  deal  to  do  in  determining  the  permanent 
course  of  the  Oregon  Trail. 

The  two  trails  started  near  the  mouth  of  •  the  Kansas 
River  and  ran  along  the  same  route  for  about  forty  miles 
westward.  At  a  point  a  little  northwest  of  the  present  town 
of  Gardner,  Kansas,  the  trails  parted  and  from  there  on  ran 
in  different  directions. 

1  Special  permission  was  obtained  from  the  Mexican  government 
allowing  the  United  States  commissioners  to  survey  the  trail  across 
Mexican  territory. 


MISSOURI   AND   THE   FAR   WEST 


199 


In  a  sense  the  real  starting  point  of  these  trails  was 
St.  Louis,  the  journey  from  that  place  to  the  point  where  the 
overland  traveling  began  being  generally  made  by  steam 
boat.  But  as  traders  always  outfitted  their  expeditions  at 
the  point  where  the  overland  journey  began,  we  are  ac 
customed  to  speak  of  that  point  as  the  beginning  of  the 
trail.  The  earliest  Santa  Fe  expeditions  were  usually 
outfitted  at  Franklin,  Howard  County,  which  was  at  that  i.  Franklin 


TAVERN  AT  ARROW  ROCK 

Arrow  Rock  is  a  town  on  the  Missouri  River  in  Saline  County.  In  early 
days  it  was  on  the  Santa  Fe  Trail  from  Boonville  to  Independence.  The 
tavern  in  the  town  was  the  regular  stopping  place  of  the  Santa  Fe  traders  as 
they  came  and  went.  It  is  still  used  as  a  hotel. 

time  the  most  important  town  in  Missouri  west  of  St. 
Louis.     Nearly  all  the  earlier  Santa  Fe  expeditions  were 
made   by  residents   of   the   Boone's  Lick  country.     But 
as  the  trade  grew  in  importance  and  as  the  steamboats 
began  to  ascend  the  Missouri  to  higher  points,  and  par 
ticularly  as  traders  from  other  places  than  Boone's  Lick 
began  to  engage  in  the  trade,   the  starting  place    was 
gradually  transferred  to  what  is  now  Independence,  near   2.  independ- 
the  mouth  of  the  Kansas  River.     This  town  was  laid  out  ence 
in  1827. 


2OO 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.  West  port 


Importance 
of  the  Trails 
in  the  His 
tory  of 
Missouri 


In  the  course  of  the  next  six  years,  however,  the  Mis 
souri  River  destroyed  the  steamboat  landing  at  Inde 
pendence,  and  the  boats  were  compelled  to  go  farther 
up  the  river  to  find  a  convenient  place  to  unload  their 
cargoes.  The  place  selected  was  laid  out  in  1833  and 
was  called  Westport.  Gradually  it  supplanted  Independ 
ence  in  the  business  of  outfitting  the  expeditions  that 
went  out  on  the  trails.  Meanwhile  Franklin,  which  had 
been  injured  commercially  by  the  transfer  of  the  business 


KANSAS  CITY  AS  IT  WAS  IN  1852 

From  Stevens'  Missouri,  the  Center  State,  by  permission  of  the  Missouri 
Historical  Society. 

of  outfitting  to  Independence  and  Westport,  was  swept 
completely  out  of  existence  by  the  action  of  the  Missouri 
River.1 

The  Santa  Fe  and  Oregon  trails  were  important  in  the 
history  of  Missouri  and  the  Far  West  not  only  because  of 
the  commerce  that  passed  back  and  forth  along  them, 
but  also  because  of  the  streams  of  colonists  that  flowed 
out  through  them  from  Missouri  to  the  Far  West.  Coloni- 

1  Parties  sometimes  started  for  Oregon  at  Fort  Leavenworth  or 
St.  Joseph,  following  the  Missouri  River  up  to  Council  Bluffs  and 
then  following  the  Platte  River  to  South  Pass,  where  they  would 
strike  the  main  Oregon  Trail. 


MISSOURI   AND   THE   FAR  WEST 


201 


zation  followed  as  a  most  natural  consequence  the  com 
mercial  activity  that  went  on  with  these  distant  countries. 
This  was  particularly  true  of  Oregon.  After  1840  Mis- 
sourians  settled  in  such 
large  numbers  in  the 
famous  Willamette  Val 
ley  as  to  make  that 


region  practically  a 
transplanted  section  of 
Missouri.  Meanwhile, 
Missourians  were  also 
going  to  New  Mexico, 
and  later  they  went  on 
to  southern  California. 
The  discovery  of  gold 
in  California  in  1848 
naturally  drew  many 
Missourians  to  that 
country,  and  they 

generally     found     their 

way  thither  along  these    sty 
two  trails.1 

So  important  were  these  trails  in  the  history  of  Mis-   Marking 
souri  and  the  Far  West  that  it  was  thought  fitting  to  set   the  Trails 

1  The  influence  of  Missouri  in  early  days  was  felt  in  other  states 
of  the  West  besides  those  that  have  been  specially  mentioned.  In 
Montana,  for  example,  a  list  was  compiled  in  1899  of  the  persons 
who  had  settled  in  that  state  prior  to  1865.  Of  the  1808  persons 
so  listed,  138  had  been  born  in  Missouri.  Only  one  other  state 
ranked  ahead  of  Missouri  and  that  was  New  York,  to  which  154 
were  credited.  In  the  census  of  1870,  1305  of  the  18,306  white 
persons  living  in  Montana  had  been  born  in  Missouri.  How  many 
more  people  who  had  been  born  elsewhere  but  had  lived  in  Missouri 
for  a  time  before  going  to  Montana  cannot  be  told,  but  doubtless 
the  number  was  large.  The  fact  that,  of  the  1808  persons  listed 
in  1899  as  having  settled  in  Montana  prior  to  1865,  1302  had 
gone  to  Montana  by  the  Missouri  River  route  or  over  the  trail 
would  suggest  that  many  had  lived  in  Missouri  for  a  time  at  least 
before  going. 


SANTA  FE  TRAIL  MARKER 

From  Stevens'  Missouri,  the  Center  State, 
by    permission    of    the    Missouri    Historical 


202  HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 

up  granite  markers  at  all  the  principal  places  along  that 
portion  that  lies  in  Missouri  from  Boonville  to  Kansas 
City,  and  also  along  the  old  Boone's  Lick  Road  from  St. 
Louis  to  Boonville.  Accordingly  the  Missouri  Daugh 
ters  of  the  American  Revolution  undertook  to  interest 
the  State  legislature  in  the  matter  and  succeeded  in  1913 
in  getting  an  appropriation  of  $6000  for  that  purpose. 
The  erection  of  the  markers  was  directed  by  the  State 
rightway  commission  and  the  Daughters  of  the  American 
Revolution. 

REFERENCES 

Fur  Trade — Chittenden,  The  American  Fur  Trade  of  the  Far 
West,  3  vols.  The  great  authority  on  the  fur  trade  of  the  Far 
West.  The  only  work  that  deals  with  the  subject  as  a  whole. 
Coues,  Forty  Years  a  Fur  Trader  on  the  Upper  Missouri.  The 
autobiography  of  a  man  who  for  forty  years  engaged  in  trapping 
and  fur  trading  in  the  upper  Mississippi  Valley  as  an  employee  of  the 
American  Fur  Company.  Dale,  The  Ashley- Smith  Explorations 
and  the  Discovery  of  a  Central  Route  to  the  Pacific,  1822-29.  A  very 
scholarly  investigation  of  the  explorations  of  William  Ashley  of 
Missouri  and  of  Jedediah  Strong  Smith  in  the  far  Northwest  and 
West.  Lippincott,  A  Century  and  a  Half  of  the  Fur  Trade  at  St. 
Louis,  in  the  Washington  University  Studies  for  April,  1916.  A 
special  study  of  the  growth  and  development  of  the  fur  trade  at  St. 
Louis.  Douglas,  "Manuel  Lisa,"  in  the  Missouri  Historical  Society 
Collections  for  1911,  vol.  iii,  Nos.  3  and  4.  A  very  detailed  study  of 
Lisa. 

Steamboats  and  Steamboat  Traffic  on  the  Missouri  River  —  Chit 
tenden,  History  of  the  Early  Steamboat  Navigation  on  the  Missouri  River, 
2  vols.  The  only  work  that  has  attempted  to  deal  with  the  subject 
as  a  whole.  A  very  scholarly  production. 

Santa  Fe  and  Oregon  Trails — Chittenden,  The  American  Fur 
Trade  of  the  Far  West.  Especially  good  on  the  history  of  the  making 
of  the  trails.  Inman,  The  Old  Santa  Fe  Trail;  Inman,  The  Great 
Salt  Lake  Trail.  These  two  books  are  highly  descriptive  accounts 
of  the  traffic  and  travel  along  these  trails.  Parkman,  Oregon  Trail. 
A  most  vivid  account  of  a  trip  made  by  the  author  over  the  Oregon 
Trail  in  1846.  Stephens,  "The  Santa  Fe  Trade,"  in  the  Missouri 
Historical  Review,  July,  1916,  and  April-July,  1917.  These  articles 
constitute  the  most  scientific  study  that  has  yet  been  made  of  the 
economic  phases  of  the  Santa  Fe"  trade.  They  have  been  printed 


MISSOURI  AND   THE  FAR  WEST  203 

separately.  Trexler,  "Missouri-Montana  Highways,"  in  the 
Missouri  Historical  Review,  January  and  April,  1918.  A  special 
investigation  of  early  migration  to  Montana  along  the  Missouri 
River  and  the  Oregon  Trail,  in  which  the  influence  of  Missouri 
upon  Montana  in  early  days  is  brought  out.  Broadhead,  Santa 
Fe  Trail,  July,  1910.  Three  Santa  Fe"  Journals  and  Diaries  have 
been  reprinted  in  the  Missouri  Historical  Review  as  follows :  Major 
Alphonse  Wetmore's  Diary  of  a  Journey  to  Santa  Fe,  edited  by 
Stephens,  July,  1914,  pp.  177-197;  M.  M.  Marmaduke's  Journal, 
edited  by  Sampson,  October,  1911,  pp.  i-ic;  Journals  of  Captain 
Thomas  Becknell,  January,  1910,  pp.  65-84. 


CHAPTER   X 
THE   MORMON   TROUBLES   IN   MISSOURI 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  Mormon  migration  to  Utah.] 

"  Forty-  THE  familiar  story  of  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California 

in  1848  and  of  the  rush  of  fortune  seekers  into  that  far  dis 
tant  country  does  not  need  to  be  repeated  here.  Over 
80,000  men  made  their  way  to  California  in  1849,  some 
going  across  the  plains,  some  rounding  Cape  Horn,  and 
others  crossing  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  and  then  taking  ship 
for  California.  Most  of  these  going  across  the  plains  set 
out  along  the  Oregon  Trail  and  followed  it  until  they 
came  to  the  Salt  Lake  Valley,  where  they  turned  off  to 
the  southwest  and  made  for  the  Sacramento  Valley.  In 
fact,  it  was  along  this  route  that  the  first  rush  of  "  forty- 
niners  "  passed.  On  reaching  the  Salt  Lake  Valley  they 
found  it  occupied  by  a  peculiar  religious  sect  called 
Mormons,  who  had  begun  their  migrations  to  this  region 
the  year  previous.  These  people  had  come  to  Salt  Lake 
from  Illinois,  where  they  had  been  living  for  nearly  ten 
years  after  their  expulsion  from  Missouri.  Inasmuch  as 
their  sojourn  in  Missouri  constitutes  a  very  important 
historical  background  for  their  migrations  first  to  Illinois 
and  then  to  Utah,  it  is  appropriate  here  to  bring  under 
review  an  account  of  that  period  of  their  history  when 
they  lived  in  Missouri. 

Book  of  Mormonism  owes  its  existence  to  Joseph  Smith,  Jr., 

Mormon  §     w^o  cia{me(j  that  under  the  direction  of  God  he  had  found 

certain  gold  plates  upon  which  was  engraved  the  history 

of  ancient  America  ' '  from  the  first  settlement  by  a  colony 

204 


THE  MORMON  TROUBLES  IN  MISSOURI 


205 


that  came  from  the  Tower  of  Babel  at  the  confusion  of 
languages  to  the  beginning  of  the  fifth  century  of  the 
Christian  era."  According  to  the  record  which  is  said  to 
have  been  engraved  on  these  plates,  America  was  inhabited 
in  ancient  times  by  two  distinct  races  of  people.  The  first 
were  the  Jaredites,  who  came  directly  from  the  Tower  of 
Babel.  The  second  race  was 
composed  chiefly  of  Israelites 
and  came  directly  from  the  city 
of  Jerusalem  about  six  hun 
dred  years  before  Christ.  The 
Jaredites  were  destroyed  about 
the  time  these  Israelites  came 
from  Jerusalem,  thus  leaving 
the  latter  to  succeed  to  the  in 
heritance  of  the  country.  Most 
of  the  Israelites,  however,  fell 
in  battle  toward  the  close  of 
the  fourth  century  A.D.  The 
descendants  of  those  who  sur 
vived  are  the  Indians  of  this  con 
tinent.  In  addition,  the  Book 
of  Mormon  relates  that  "Christ 
made  his  appearance  upon  this 
continent  after  his  resurrec 
tion  ;  that  he  planted  his  gospel 
here  in  all  its  fullness  and  rich 
ness  and  power  and  blessing  ;  that  his  followers  had  apostles, 
prophets,  pastors,  teachers,  and  evangelists  ;  the  same  or 
der,  the  same  priesthood,  the  same  ordinances,  gifts,  powers, 
and  blessings  as  were  en  joyed  on  the  eastern  continent ;  that 
the  people  were  cut  off  in  consequence  of  their  transgres 
sions  ;  that  the  last  of  their  prophets  who  existed  among 
them  were  commanded  to  write  an  abridgement  of  their  pro 
phecies,  history,  etc.,  and  to  hide  it  away  in  the  earth,  and 
that  it  should  come  forth  and  be  united  with  the  Bible  for 
the  accomplishment  of  the  purpose  of  God  in  the  last  days. ' ' 


i.    Records 
on  Gold 
Plates 


JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR. 

The  founder  of  the  Mormon 
Church.  From  Vida  Smith's  Young 
People's  History  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints. 


2O6 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Transla 
tion  of  the 
Plates 


3.  Growth  in 
the  Number 
of  Mormons 


Lamanite 
Mission 


i.  Journey 
to  Inde 
pendence, 
Missouri 


These  plates,  it  was  said,  were  found  by  Smith  in  1823 
in  Cumorah  Hill,  near  Manchester,  New  York,  where 
they  had  been  placed  in  384  A.D.  by  a  man  named  Moroni. 
Smith,  how.ever,  was  not  allowed  to  remove  the  plates 
from  their  hiding  place  until  1827,  when  they  were  com 
mitted  to  his  keeping  with  the  command  to  translate 
them.  In  about  two  years  and  a  half  the  translation  was 
completed  and  in  1830  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  printed. 

With  the  credibility  of  these  claims  of  Smith  we  are  in 
no  wise  concerned.  Most  people  have  rejected  them  as 
preposterous.  But  whether  we  accept  his  claims  or  not, 
the  fact  of  great  and  undoubted  historical  importance  is 
that  Smith  was  able  to  interest  a  number  of  people  in  his 
ideas  and  to  get  them  to  believe  him,  and  that  the 
Mormons  have  continually  grown  in  numbers  and  are  to 
be  found  in  many  parts  of  the  world  to-day. 

In  1830,  the  same  year  in  which  the  Book  of  Mormon 
was  published,  Smith  organized  in  Fayette,  New  York, 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints.  Very 
shortly  after  its  organization  this  new  church  undertook 
to  send  a  mission  to  the  Indians  living  in  the  western  part 
of  the  country.  This  was  a  very  natural  thing  for  the 
followers  of  Smith  to  do.  The  Book  of  Mormon  contained 
many  promises  to  the  Lamanites,  the  descendants  of  the 
Israelites  who  had  come  to  America  in  very  early  days, 
and  as  the  Indians  were  supposed  to  be  the  Lamanites,  it 
is  not  at  all  surprising  to  find  that  in  1830  a  mission  was 
sent  out  to  the  Indians  living  in  what  is  now  Kansas. 

On  their  way  west  the  four  men  who  composed  this 
mission  came  to  Kirtland,  Ohio,  where  they  tarried  for  a 
while,  preaching  and  converting  men  and  women  to  their 
new  gospel.  A  church  was  organized  at  Kirtland  and 
in  a  short  time  congregations  were  established  in  a  great 
many  other  places  in  Ohio.1  In  the  course  of  the  year 

1  The  Mormons  soon  developed  a  very  extensive  propaganda  and 
sent  out  missionaries  not  only  to  the  Indians,  but  also  to  the  whites 
throughout  the  United  States  and  in  other  countries.  So  successful 


THE  MORMON  TROUBLES  IN  MISSOURI  207 

1831,  Smith  removed  from  New  York  to  Kirtland  and 
made  that  the  center  of  his  activities  for  several  years. 

From  Kirtland  the  mission  to  the  Lamanites  proceeded  2.  Failure  of 
to  Independence,  Missouri,  arriving  at  the  latter  place  theMlsslon 
early  in  1831.  Here  it  was  decided  that  two  of 
their  number  should  secure  employment  at  their  trade 
of  tailoring  while  the  remaining  three  should  cross  the 
frontier  line  and  enter  the  reservation  of  the  Shawnees 
and  the  Delawares.1  The  Indians  were  said  to  have  been 
much  interested  in  the  message  that  was  thus  brought  to 
them  by  these  missionaries,  but  the  Indian  agents  soon 
interfered  and  compelled  the  Mormons  to  withdraw  from 
the  reservation.  When  the  expelled  missionaries  returned 
to  Independence,  they  consulted  with  their  brethren  there, 
and  it  was  decided  that  one  of  their  number,  Parley  P. 
Pratt,  should  return  to  Kirtland  and  report  to  the  Prophet 
the  outcome  of  their  efforts. 

Shortly  after  the  return  of  Pratt  to  Kirtland,  Smith  The  Found- 
announced  that  he  had  had  a  revelation  in  which  he  ^nde-""1 
and  Rigdon  were  commanded  to  journey  to  western  Mis-  pendence 
souri  as  soon  as  possible  and  to  consecrate  there  the  land 
of  Zion.     About  the  middle  of  June,  1831,  Smith  and  a 
party  of  seven  persons  started  out  on  their  journey,  going 
by  way  of  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis.     At  the  same  time 
twenty-eight  elders  were  sent  out   two  by  two  through 
the  different  Western  states  to  preach  and  baptize  and 
ultimately  to  meet  the  Prophet  in  western  Missouri. 

About  the  middle  of  July,  183 1,  the  Prophet  and  his  party   i.  Cere- 
arrived  at  Independence,  having  made  the  journey   on  August  2 
foot  from  St.  Louis  to  that  point.     In  due  time  those  who  and  3, 1831 
had  been  sent  out  to  the  other  Western  states  began  to 

were  they  in  these  missionary  enterprises  that  they  were  able  to 
announce  by  1833  that  they  had  established  "congregations  in 
nearly  all  the  Northern  states  and  in  some  of  the  Southern,  with 
baptisms  from  30  to  130  in  a  place." 

1  The  mission  was  increased  from  four  to  five  by  the  addition  of 
a  new  recruit  at  Kirtland. 


208 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


arrive  also.  Smith  was  greatly  delighted  with  the  new 
country;  he  declared  that  it  had  been  revealed  to  him 
that  this  was  "the  land  of  promise  and  the  place  for  the 
city  of  Zion,"  and  that  the  Saints  should  make  extensive 
purchases  of  land  in  this  vicinity  as  soon  as  possible. 
In  order  that  the  world  might  know  what  God  had  or 
dained,  two  ceremonies  were  observed  by  Smith.  In 


TEMPLE  LOT  AT  INDEPENDENCE,  MISSOURI 

Dedicated  by  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  on  August  3,  1831.  Now  in  possession  of 
the  "  Hedrickites,"  one  of  the  Mormon  sects.  Beyond  the  trees  in  the  picture 
the  "  Hedrickites  "  have  built  a  frame  church  building.  See  the  next  picture. 
To  the  left  in  this  picture,  and  across  the  street  from  Temple  Lot,  is  the  "  Rock 
Church  "  of  the  Reorganized  Latter  Day  Saints.  In  another  part  of  the  town 
the  Utah  Mormons  have  erected  a  church  building.  Each  of  the  three  sects 
hopes  some  day  to  build  the  temple  on  this  lot. 

one  the  foundations  of  the  future  city  of  Zion  were  sym 
bolically  laid,  and  in  the  other  the  site  of  the  future 
temple  was  consecrated  and  the  cornerstone  symbolically 
laid.  These  ceremonies  were  held  on  August  2  and  3, 
1831.  More  than  eighty-six  years  have  passed  since 
they  took  place,  and  as  yet  Zion  has  not  been  built  nor 
has  the  temple  been  erected  on  this  sacred  site.  But  from 
that  time  to  this  every  Mormon  sect  has  held  firmly  to 
the  hope  and  belief  that  some  day  it  will  be  able  to  bring 
about  the  realization  of  those  things  which  were  foretold 
by  the  Prophet  in  1831. 


THE  MORMON  TROUBLES  IN  MISSOURI 


20Q 


At  that  time  Independence,  which  was  designated  by   2.  Plan  for 
Smith  as  the  central  place  of  Zion,  was  a  small,  struggling   ^go^iS 
frontier  town.     Under  the  rule  of  the  Saints  it  was  to  be  pendence 
transformed  into  a  model  city  with  a  large  and  bustling 
population.     According  to  a  plan  which  was  drawn  up 
in  June,   1833,  the  city  was  to  be  one  mile  square  and 
divided  into  blocks,  all  of  which  were  to  be  forty  rods 
square,   containing  ten  acres    each,    except    the   middle 
range  of  blocks  running  north  and  south,  which  were  to 
be  forty  by  sixty  rods  and  to  contain  fifteen  acres  each. 
This  middle  tier  of  blocks  was  to  be  reserved  for  public 


THE  "  HEDRICKITE  "  CHURCH  BUILDING  ON  TEMPLE  LOT 

The  "  Hedrickites  "  came  to  Independence  from  Illinois  in  1867.  One  of 
the  original  "  Hedrickite  "  immigrants  to  Independence,  Mr.  George  P.  Frisbie, 
stands  beside  the  building.  From  a  photograph  taken  by  Professor  Mark 
Burrows  of  the  Kirksville  State  Normal  School  in  November,  1917. 

buildings,  temples,  tabernacles,  schoolhouses,  and  the 
like.  All  the  other  blocks  were  to  be  divided  into  half- 
acre  lots,  on  each  of  which  was  to  be  erected  a  house. 
All  houses  were  to  be  built  twenty-five  feet  back  from  the 
street,  the  space  in  front  being  for  lawns  and  ornamental 
trees,  shrubbery,  or  flowers,  and  that  in  the  rear  for 
gardens.  Lands  on  the  north  and  south  of  the  city  were 
to  be  laid  out  for  barns  and  stables  for  the  use  of  the 
people,  thus  removing  such  buildings  from  the  vicinity  of 
their  homes.  Lands  for  farming  also  were  to  be  laid  off 
to  the  north  and  south  of  the  city,  and  to  the  east  and 
west  if  necessary,  but  the  farmers  were  to  live  in  the  city 


2IO 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.  Migration 
of  Mormons 
to  the  Land 
of  Zion 


Expulsion  of 
Mormons 
from  Jack 
son  County 


i.  First 
Signs  of 
Hostility 


itself.     It  was  supposed  that  such  a  city  would  accom 
modate  from  15,000  to  20,000  people. 

Shortly  before  Smith  arrived  at  Independence  a  band  of 
about  sixty  Mormons  came  from  Coles ville,  New  York, 
and  settled  on  the  edge  of  a  large  prairie  about  twelve 
miles  west  of  Independence  in  what  must  be  now  the 
suburbs  of  Kansas  City.  It  was  in  their  settlement 
that  Smith  laid  the  foundations  of  Zion  on  August  2. 
Later  on  other  settlements  were  made  by  the  Mormons 
in  different  parts  of  Jackson  County.  By  the  middle 
of  1833  they  had  established  several  "stakes"1  in  the 
county,  and  numbered  more  than  1200  souls,  or  about 
one  third  of  the  total  population. 

Because  of  their  rapid  increase  in  numbers  and  because 
of  their  peculiar  religious  and  social  beliefs,  the  Mormons 
_^_  aroused  a  great  deal  of 

"^$\^     ^jjj  hostility  on  the  part  of 

the  people  in  that  sec 
tion  of  the  State.  This 
hostility  began  to  show 
itself  as  early  as  the 
spring  of  1832,  when 
the  homes  of  the  Mor 
mons  were  stoned  at 
night  and  windows 
THE  COURT  HOUSE  AT  INDEPENDENCE,  were  broken.  Very 
MISSOURI  shortly  men  began  to 

As  it  stood  during  the  Mormon  troubles     talk    of    removing    the 


in  Missouri. 
History. 


From  Smith's  Young  People's 


Mormons  from  the 
county,  but  nothing 
definite  was  done  until  July,  1833,  when  the  opponents 
of  the  Mormons  issued  a  manifesto  setting  forth  their 
complaints  and  calling  a  meeting  in  the  court  house  at 
Independence  on  the  twentieth  of  that  month.  Several 
hundred  people  signed  this  manifesto  and  the  meeting 
was  attended  by  nearly  500. 

1  "Stake"  is  the  Mormon  term  for  local  church  or  congregation. 


THE  MORMON  TROUBLES  IN  MISSOURI  21 1 

The  first  business  of  the  meeting  was  to  draw  up  an   2.  Address 
address   which   should   set   forth   the  grievances  of  the   rj^gns  Of 
people  in  greater  detail  than  had  been  done  in  the  original  Jackson 
manifesto.     After  characterizing  the   Mormons  as  little   ^Mormons 
above  negroes  as  far  as  property  and   education   were 
concerned,  and  charging  them  with  exerting  a  corrupting 
influence  on  the  slaves  ;  after  asserting  that  the  Mormons 
were  daily  boasting  that  they  would  appropriate  the  land 
of  the  Gentiles  to  themselves ;   and  after  forecasting  the 
future,  when  through  continued  immigration  the   Mor 
mons  should  far  outnumber   the   Gentiles,   the   address 
closed  with  these  demands : 

"  That  no  Mormon  shall  in  future  move  or  settle  in  this  county. 

"  That  those  now  here  who  shall  give  a  definite  pledge  of  their 
intention  within  a  reasonable  time  to  remove  out  of  the  county  shall 
be  allowed  to  remain  unmolested  until  they  have  sufficient  time  to 
sell  their  property  and  close  their  business  without  any  material 
sacrifice. 

"That  the  editor  of  the  Star1  be  required  forthwith  to  close  his 
office  and  discontinue  the  business  of  printing  in  this  county ;  and 
as  to  all  other  stores  and  shops  belonging  to  the  sect,  their  owners 
must  in  every  case  strictly  comply  with  the  terms  of  the  second 
article  of  this  declaration ;  and  upon  failure,  prompt  and  efficient 
measures  will  be  taken  to  close  the  same. 

"  That  the  Mormon  leaders  here  are  required  to  use  their  influence 
in  preventing  any  further  emigration  of  their  distant  brethren  to 
this  county  and  to  counsel  and  advise  their  brethren  here  to  comply 
with  the  above  regulations. 

"  That  those  who  fail  to  comply  with  the  requisitions  be  referred 
to  those  of  their  brethren  who  have  the  powers  of  divination  or  of 
unknown  tongues  to  inform  them  of  the  lot  that  awaits  them." 

After  adopting  the  address  the  meeting  took  a  recess  3-  Mobbing 
of  two  hours  in  order  that  a  committee  might  confer  with  Mormons 
the  representative  leaders  of  the  Mormons.     In  due  time 
the  committee  reported  back  to  the  meeting  that  these 

1  The  Morning  and  Evening  Star  was  the  official  paper  of  the 
Mormons  in  Missouri,  having  been  established  by  them  in  June, 
1832.  It  was  suspended  in  July,  1833,  as  the  result  of  the  troubles 
in  Jackson  County. 


212 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


4.  The  Mor 
mons  Agree 
to  Leave 
the  County 


5.  Mormons 
Decide  Not 
to  Leave 


leaders  "  declined  giving  any  direct  answer  to  the  requi 
sitions  made  of  them  and  wished  an  unreasonable  time  for 
consultation  not  only  with  their  brethren  here  but  in 
Ohio."  The  meeting  thereupon  voted  unanimously  to 
raze  the  printing  office  to  the  ground  and  to  seize  the  type 
and  press.  This  resolution  was  immediately  carried  into 
effect,  and  in  addition  several  Mormons  were  tarred  and 
feathered. 

Three  days  later  the  Missourians  gathered  again  in 
Independence,  this  time  carrying  a  red  flag  and  bearing 
arms.  The  result  of  this  gathering  was  a  written  agree 
ment  between  a  committee  of  the  Gentiles  and  some  of 
the  Mormon  leaders  to  the  effect  that  the  latter  with  their 
families  would  move  from  the  county  by  the  following 
January,  and  that  they  would  use  their  influence  to  in 
duce  their  fellow  Mormons  to  do  likewise,  one  half  by 
January  i  and  the  rest  by  April  i.  They  also  agreed  to 
do  all  they  could  to  prevent  further  immigration  of  their 
brethren  into  the  county.  For  more  than  two  months 
after  this  there  was  no  further  trouble. 

It  soon  became  evident,  however,  that  the  Mormons 
did  not  intend  to  observe  this  agreement.  One  of  their 
number  was  sent  to  Kirtland  to  advise  with  the  church 
officers  there.1  It  was  decided  by  a  council  held  at  that 
place  that  legal  measures  should  be  taken  to  establish 
the  rights  of  the  Saints  in  Missouri  and  that  a  petition 
should  be  submitted  to  the  governor  of  the  State  ap 
pealing  to  him  for  assistance  in  their  behalf.  In  reply 
to  this  petition  Governor  Dunklin  expressed  considerable 
sympathy  with  the  Mormons  in  their  troubles  and  assured 
them  he  would  use  all  the  means  which  the  constitution 
and  laws  of  the  State  placed  at  his  disposal  to  avert  the 
calamities  which  threatened  them.  He  advised  them  to 

1  The  headquarters  of  the  Mormons  were  as  yet  at  Kirtland, 
Ohio.  The  Prophet  returned  to  that  place  shortly  after  dedicating 
Temple  Lot  in  Independence  in  1831,  and  came  to  Missouri  only  on 
occasional  visits  until  his  final  removal  to  the  State  in  1837. 


THE  MORMON  TROUBLES  IN  MISSOURI  213 

invoke  the  laws  and  promised  that,  if  these  could  not  be 
peaceably  executed,  he  would  take  steps  to  secure  their 
enforcement. 

This  reply  from  the  governor  in  October  gave  the 
Mormons  renewed  courage.  Early  in  August  they  had 
been  assured  by  the  Prophet  that  the  Lord  had  revealed 
to  him  that  Zion  could  not  fail  and  could  not  be  moved 
out  of  her  place.  But  now  that  the  highest  authority  in 
the  State  had  pledged  them  his  support,  they  resumed 
their  occupations  and  began  to  erect  more  houses  and  to 
improve  their  places  as  if  they  intended  to  remain  perma 
nently.  Moreover,  they  engaged  the  services  of  four  Clay 
County  lawyers  to  look  after  their  interests.  Among 
these  lawyers  were  Doniphan1  and  Atchison.  Meanwhile 
immigration  of  new  members  from  Ohio  and  other  parts 
of  the  country  continued.  And  as  if  to  remove  all  un 
certainty  as  to  their  plans  and  intentions,  the  Mormons 
made  a  public  declaration  on  Sunday,  October  20,  1833, 
that  they  intended  to  remain  and  defend  their  lands  and 
houses. 

Hostilities  in  a  more  violent  form  than  ever  were  not   6.  Renewal 
long  in  breaking  out.     On  the  night  of  October  31  a  mob   ^^f|jfee 
attacked  a  Mormon  settlement  on  the  Big  Blue,  a  stream   Mormons 
about  ten  miles  west  of  Independence.     They  unroofed 
and  demolished  twelve  houses,  severely  whipping  some  of 
the  men,  and  frightening  the  women  and  children  so  badly 
that  they  fled  for  refuge  into  the  outlying  country  in  the 
middle  of  the  night.     On  the  following  night  Mormon 
houses  in  Independence  were  stoned  and  the  church  store 
was  broken  into  and  pillaged.     The  Mormons  appealed 
to  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  a  warrant  to  arrest  the  ma 
rauders,  but  were  refused,  notwithstanding  the  letter  of 
Governor  Dunklin  which  they  presented.      When  later 
they  took  before  the  same  officer  one  of  the  mob  whom 
they  had  caught  in  the  act  of  destroying  their  property, 

1  This  was  the  Alexander  Doniphan  of  later  fame  in  the  Mexican 
War. 


214  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

the  justice  not  only  refused  to  hold  him,  but  issued  a 
warrant  against  four  Mormons  for  false  imprisonment 
and  had  them  lodged  in  jail. 

Finding  themselves  denied  the  protection  of  the  courts, 
the  Mormons  proceeded  to  arm  themselves  and  to  estab 
lish  night  patrol  service  throughout  their  settlements.     On 
the  next  day  (November  2)  a  second  attack  was  made  upon 
Big  Blue,  in  which  many  shots  were  exchanged  and  at  least 
two  Mormons  were  wounded.     On  November  4,  "Bloody 
Day"  in  the  annals  of  the  Mormons,  attacks  were  made 
upon  several  of  the  Mormon  settlements  in  the  county ; 
an  attempt  was  also  made  to  mob  some  Mormons  during 
the  course  of  their  trial  in  the  court  house  at  Independence, 
and  but  for  the  prompt  action  of  the  sheriff  the  attempt 
might  have  succeeded. 
7.  Mormons        Under  these  circumstances  it  became  apparent  to  the 
Mormons  that  they  could  not  remain  in  Jackson  County 
any  longer,  and  they  began  to  make  preparations  to  re 
move  at  once  to  some  other  place.     At  first  they  decided 
to  go  to  a  point  fifty  miles  south  of  Independence,  to  what 
was  then  called  Van  Buren  County  (now  Cass),  but  as 
the  people  of  Jackson  County  would  not  consent  to  this, 
they  agreed  to  go  across  the  Missouri  River  into  Clay 
County.     For  two  days,  November  6  and  7,  the  ferries 
were  crowded  with  the  fleeing  refugees,  most  of  whom 
were  in  dire  distress.     Encamped  on  the  northern  bank 
of   the    Missouri,    they   presented    a    strange    spectacle. 
"Hundreds  of  people  were  to  be  seen  in  every  direction ; 
some  in  the  open  air,  around  their  fires,  while  the  rain 
descended    in    torrents.     Husbands    were    inquiring    for 
their  wives  and  women  for  their  husbands,  parents  for 
children  and  children  for  parents.     Some  had  the  good 
fortune  to  escape  with  their  family,  household  goods,  and 
some  provisions ;    while  others  knew  not  of  the  fate  of 
their  friends  and  had  lost  all  their  goods.     The  scene  was 
indescribable." 

Not  all  the   Mormons  in  Jackson  County,   however, 


THE  MORMON  TROUBLES  IN  MISSOURI  215 

joined  the  exodus  on  November  6  and  7.  There  were 
still  a  few  families  scattered  here  and  there  in  the  county, 
but  these  were  threatened  and  abused  so  harshly  that  they 
also  were  finally  forced  to  leave.  By  the  close  of  the  year 
not  a  Mormon  was  left  in  the  county. 

The  distress  that  had  come  upon  the  Mormons  by  their  8.  Reception 
sudden  expulsion  from  Jackson  County  was  somewhat  county 
relieved  by  the  rather  kindly  manner  in  which  they  were 
received  in  Clay  County.  Here  they  were  allowed  to 
occupy  every  vacant  cabin  they  could  find  and  to  erect 
temporary  shelters  until  they  could  build  homes  of  their 
own .  Some  of  the  women  were  employed  as  domestic  serv 
ants  in  the  homes  of  the  well-to-do  farmers  ;  others  taught 
school,  while  the  men  worked  at  any  sort  of  employment 
they  could  find.  For  three  years  the  Mormons  dwelt  in 
peace  in  Clay  County  and  enjoyed  a  degree  of  prosperity.1 

Meanwhile,  through   legal   proceedings  in   the   courts  Attempts  of 

the  Mormons  sought  to  secure  redress  for  the  losses  which  the  M°r~ 

mons  to 

they  had  sustained  in  Jackson  County ;    but  failing   in   Secure 
this,  they  petitioned  the   governor  to  restore  their  pos-  Redress 
sessions  and  to  protect  them  in  the  use  of  their  property. 
They  also  asked  that  they  be  allowed  to  organize  them 
selves  into  Jackson  County  Guards  to  assist  the  militia 
in  affording  them  protection.     These  requests,  however, 
the  governor  declined  to  grant. 

1  There  was  an  early  prospect  of  friction  between  the  Mormons 
and  the  people  of  Clay  County  through  an  attempted  invasion  of 
the  county  by  a  Mormon  army  from  the  east.  In  February,  1834, 
Pratt  and  Wight  arrived  in  Kirtland  from  Jackson  County  and 
related  in  full  the  story  of  the  expulsion  of  the  Saints  from  Jackson 
County.  The  Prophet  thereupon  announced  a  new  revelation  by 
which  he  was  directed  to  raise  an  army  and  lead  it  to  the  help  of 
the  distressed  Saints  in  Missouri.  Accordingly  an  army  of  200 
men,  known  as  the  Army  of  Zion,  was  gathered  at  Kirtland  and 
started  toward  Missouri  in  May.  But  it  was  destined  to  an  in 
glorious  end.  Owing  to  the  warnings  that  were  given  to  Smith 
by  Missourians  as  his  army  approached  Clay  County  and  as  it 
later  entered  that  county,  he  concluded  to  disband  it  and  let  the 
men  go  their  way. 


2l6 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Troubles 
in  Clay 
County 


i.  Increase 
in  the 
Number  of 
Mormons 


2.  Mass 
Meeting  of 
Citizens  at 
Liberty 


Later  an  attempt  was  made  to  arbitrate  the  differences 
between  the  contending  parties.  A  meeting  at  Liberty 
was  arranged  for  June  16,  1834,  between  the  Mormons 
and  a  committee  from  Jackson  County,  at  which  it  was 
proposed  by  the  committee  that  the  value  of  the  lands 
and  the  improvements  thereon  of  the  Mormons  in  Jack 
son  County  be  ascertained  by  three  disinterested  ap 
praisers,  and  that  the  people  of  Jackson  County  agree 
either  to  pay  the  Mormons  the  valuation  fixed  by  the 
appraisers,  with  one  hundred  per  cent  added  within  thirty 
days  of  the  award,  or  to  sell  out  their  lands  to  the  Mormons 
on  the  same  terms.1  The  Mormons  declined  these  terms 
and  proposed  counter  terms,  but  these  likewise  were 
declined  by  the  Jackson  County  people.  The  result  was 
that  the  attempt  to  arbitrate  failed. 

Although  the  Mormons  dwelt  in  peace  in  Clay  County 
for  about  three  years,  there  were  signs  of  an  impending 
conflict  some  time  before  the  end  of  that  period.  Owing 
to  the  rapid  growth  of  the  Mormons  through  immigration, 
the  natives  were  made  to  realize  that  in  a  short  time  they 
would  be  greatly  outnumbered.  This  prospect  of  being 
reduced  to  a  minority  in  their  own  county  was  not  at  all 
pleasing,  especially  when  the  Mormons  began  to  an 
nounce  rather  boldly  that  their  church  would  some  day 
acquire  possession  of  all  the  land  in  that  part  of  the 
country. 

Under  these  circumstances  the  feeling  toward  the 
Mormons  became  very  bitter  in  Clay  County,  and  matters 
were  brought  to  a  crisis  through  a  public  meeting  held  in 
the  court  house  at  Liberty  in  June,  1836.  In  a  set  of 
resolutions  adopted  by  the  meeting,  the  Mormons  were 
reminded  that  when  they  had  been  received  as  exiles  from 

1  While  the  fifteen  Jackson  County  committeemen  were  crossing 
the  river  on  the  way  home,  their  boat  upset  and  seven  of  their 
number  were  drowned.  Inasmuch  as  the  weather  was  calm  and 
there  was  no  apparent  explanation  for  the  sinking  of  the  boat,  the 
Mormons  declared  that  the  angel  of  the  Lord  had  sunk  it. 


THE  MORMON  TROUBLES  IN  MISSOURI  217 

Jackson  County  it  had  been  the  understanding  that  they 
should  leave  whenever  "a  respectable  portion  of  the  citi 
zens"  of  Clay  County  should  so  designate,  and  they  were 
then  informed  that  the  time  for  their  departure  had 
come.  The  reasons  offered  for  demanding  the  removal 
of  the  Mormons  were :  their  declarations  that  the  land 
was  destined  to  belong  to  them  and  to  the  Indians,  their 
hostility  to  slavery,  and  their  peculiar  religious  tenets. 
They  were  urged  to  seek  new  homes  for  themselves,  pref 
erably  in  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin.  The  newly  arrived 
immigrants  were  advised  to  leave  at  once,  the  non-land 
holders  were  told  to  go  after  harvest,  and  the  owners  of 
forty  acres  or  more  as  soon  as  they  could  dispose  of  their 
real  estate. 

Seeing  that  it  was  useless  to  remain  in  Clay  County  Settlement 
under  these  circumstances,  the  Mormons  decided  to  leave,  monshf°r" 
and  in  casting  about  for  a  new  location  they  decided  that  Caldwell 
they  would  like  to  live  in  the  northern  part  of  what  was   County 
then  Ray  County,  provided  it  could  be  cut  off  from  Ray 
and  made  into  a  separate  county.     They  had  been  more 
or  less  acquainted  with  the  advantages  of  that  region  for 
some  time,  as  some  of  their  number  had  traveled  over  it 
in  1834  and  had  described  it  in  glowing  terms  to  their 
brethren   in    Clay    County.     Accordingly   the  Mormons   i.  Creation 
petitioned  the  legislature  to  cut  off  the  upper  part  of  Ray 
County  and  organize  it  into  a  new  county,  and  they  suc 
ceeded  in  getting  the  legislature  to  do  this  in  December, 
1836.     Although  there  was    nothing  in  the  act  of   the 
legislature  which  created  this   county  (called   Caldwell) 
devoting  it  to  the  use  of  the  Mormons,  it  was,  however, 
created  with  the  understanding  that  that  was  what  the 
new  county  was  for.     In  a  short  time  the  Mormons  moved 
out  of  Clay  County  almost  en  masse  and  settled  in  Cald 
well.1     They  came  also  from  the  other  counties  in  which 

1  Some  of  them  began  to  come  into  this  region  even  before  the 
new  county  was  created.  Several  Mormons  moved  from  Clay 
County  and  settled  on  School  Creek  in  October,  1836. 


218 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Far  West 


they  had  settled.  There  were  but  few  people  living  in 
the  new  county  when  it  was  organized,  and  these  offered 
no  objection  to  the  settlement  of  the  Mormons  in  their 
midst.  Many  of  the  Mormons  were  able  to  acquire  land 
either  by  purchase  or  by  entering  government  land,  but 
many  of  them  were  so  poor  that  they  were  compelled  to 
find  employment  in  the  adjoining  counties. 

As  the  county  seat  of  their  new  home,  the  Mormons 
founded  in  the  western  part  of  the  county  a  town  which 


°:<  <&&:'.'<' ^i '•',*,'•'•*•-- 

^^=7*) 


VIEW  OF  FAR  WEST  AS  IT  is  TO-DAY 

Far  West  was  the  Mormon  capital  in  Missouri  in  1837-38.  It  contained 
3000  people  at  the  time  the  Mormons  were  expelled  from  Missouri.  It  soon 
disappeared  after  the  Mormons  were  driven  out.  From  Smith's  Young 
People's  History. 

they  called  Far  West  and  which  was  eight  miles  west 
of  the  present  county  seat,  Kingston.  The  town  was 
beautifully  situated  and  commanded  a  fine  view  of  the 
surrounding  country  for  many  miles.  It  was  laid  out  lib 
erally  and  with  a  view  to  its  future  growth  and  develop 
ment  on  a  large  scale.  The  original  town  plot  embraced 
a  square  mile.  In  the  center  of  the  town  was  a  large  pub 
lic  square,  approached  by  four  main  roads  running  east 
and  west  and  north  and  south,  each  a  hundred  feet  wide. 
In  the  center  of  the  public  square  there  was  to  be  erected 
a  temple  of  considerable  size  and  beauty.  The  blocks 


THE   MORMON   TROUBLES   IN   MISSOURI  219 

of  the  town  were  laid  out  so  as  to  contain  four  lots  of  one 
acre  each.  Very  soon  after  Far  West  was  founded  it  be 
came  a  thriving  town,  inhabited,  of  course,  practically  by 
Mormons  only,  and  by  the  fall  of  1838  it  had  a  population 
of  about  3000. 1 

Inasmuch  as  the  population  of  the  new  county  was  3-  Mormon 
largely  made  up  of  Mormons,  they  had  complete  political  th°nc°u°ty 
control  of  it.     Of  the  officials,  two  judges,  thirteen  magis 
trates,  the  county  clerk,  and  all  of  the  militia  officers  were 
Mormons. 

Early  in  1838  Joseph  Smith,  the  Prophet,  and  Sidney   4-  Arrival  of 
Rigdon,  probably  the  most  important  of  the  Prophet's  ^^  at 
followers,  arrived  at  Far  West,  having  been  forced  to  flee   Far  West 
from  Kirtland,  Ohio,  on  account  of  the  failure   of   the 
Mormon  bank  at  that  place.     This  bank  issued  notes,  as 
other  state  banks  were  accustomed  to  do  at  that  time,2 
and  got  along  very  well  until  it  was  pressed  to  redeem 
some    of    them.      Following    upon    this   -came    prosecu 
tions  for  violations  of  the  banking  law  of  Ohio,  which 
resulted  in  the  conviction  of  both   Smith  and   Rigdon. 
It  was  after  they  had  been  convicted  that  they  fled  to 
Missouri. 

Notwithstanding  these  financial  difficulties,  Smith  and 
Rigdon  were  received  by  their  followers  in  Missouri  with 
great  joy,  and  much  was  said  about  the  early  establishing 
of  Zion  in  Missouri  in  fulfillment  of  Smith's  prophecies. 

But  Smith  and  Rigdon  found  conditions  among  the  5.  Dissen- 
Saints  very  bad  indeed.  Grave  dissensions  had  arisen 
among  them  and  several  of  their  leaders  had  been  ex 
pelled  from  the  church  on  very  serious  charges.  Among 
those  who  were  expelled  were  Oliver  Cowdery  and  David 
Whitmer,  two  of  the  three  men  who  claimed  they  had 

1  The  present  post  office  of  Far  West  is  Kerr.     All  of  the  Mormon 
houses  have  disappeared,  but  there  still  remains  the  excavation  that 
had  been  made  in  the  center  of  the  public  square  for  the  temple.     A 
large,  rough,  unhewn  stone  stands  in  each  corner  of  the  excavation. 

2  See  Chapter  VII  on  "  Early  Banking  in  Missouri." 


220 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


The  Gather 
ing  of  the 
Storm 


i.  Rigdon's 
Salt  Sermon, 
July  4,  1838 


seen  the  golden  plates.1  It  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  go 
into  the  details  of  these  religious  dissensions  of  the  Mor 
mons,  but  it  should  be  mentioned  that  these  troubles  oc 
casioned  the  rise  of  an  organization  among  the  Mormons 
called  the  "Danites."  This  organization  was  maintained 
for  many  years  and  acquired  in  time  a  very  unsavory 
reputation  for  dark  and  violent  deeds. 

Notwithstanding  these  internal  discords  in  the  church, 
Smith  showed  no  sign  of  being  discouraged,  but  took 

hold  of  affairs  and  announced 
from  time  to  time  new  projects 
that  had  been  authorized,  he 
claimed,  by  divine  revelation. 
Among  other  things,  he  ordered 
the  founding  of  other  "stakes " 
in  Daviess  and  Carroll  coun 
ties,  to  the  great  dismay  of 
the  Gentiles  in  those  counties, 
who  saw  in  this  the  beginning 
of  a  great  Mormon  expansion 
throughout  the  State.  Smith 
ordered  also  that  work  should 
begin  on  the  new  temple  at 
Far  West  on  July  4,  1838. 
The  laying  of  the  corner 
stone  of  this  building  was  the 
occasion  for  a  big  gathering  of  the  Saints  at  that  place  and 
for  a  public  declaration  as  to  what  their  plans  and  in 
tentions  were.  This  declaration  was  made  by  Rigdon  in 
what  has  gone  down  in  the  history  of  Mormonism  as  the 
"Salt  Sermon,"  so  called  from  the  Bible  text  which  he 
took:  "If  the  salt  has  lost  its  savor,  wherewith  shall  it 
be  salted  ? "  After  reviewing  the  history  of  the  Mormons 
and  their  relations  with  their  opponents,  he  announced 

1  Cowdery  sought  readmission  into  the  church  in  1 848  and  was 
rebaptized.  Whitmer  never  returned  to  the  church,  but  shortly 
before  he  died  in  1888  he  reaffirmed  his  belief  in  the  Book  of  Mormon. 


SIDNEY  RIGDON 

One  of  the  most  prominent  early 
Mormon  leaders.  From  Smith's 
Young  People's  History. 


THE  MORMON  TROUBLES  IN  MISSOURI  221 

an  end  to  their  patient  endurance  of  indignities  and  per 
secutions  and  declared  that  from  thenceforth  they  would 
resist  all  invasion  of  their  rights.  It  was  not  very  long 
after  this  that  an  opportunity  was  offered  the  Mormons 
to  carry  this  policy  of  violence  into  effect. 

The  first  new  clash  between  the  Mormons  and  the  Mis-  2.  clash  at 
sourians  came  not  in  Caldwell  County  but  in   Daviess  Augusta, 
County.1     The  occasion  for  it  was  the  State  election  which    1838 
occurred  on  August  6,  1838.     In  Daviess  County  the  two 
political   parties,   the  Whigs  and  the   Democrats,   were 
evenly  divided,  and  both  of  them  were  striving  to  secure 
the  Mormon  vote  in  the  county.     When  it  appeared  that 
the  Mormons  were  going  to  vote  with  the  Democrats,  the 
Whigs  were  reported  as  planning  to  prevent  them  from 
voting  at  all.     Whether  this  was  so  or  not,  an  attack  was 
made  upon  the  Mormons  at  Gallatin  on  the  day  of  the 
election,  and  several  men  were  hurt  on  both  sides,  but  no 
lives  were  lost. 

When  the  news  of  this  altercation  reached  Far  West, 
the  Mormons  became  greatly  excited  and  sent  a  force 
of  150  men,  including  Smith  and  Rigdon,  to  the  rescue  of 
their  brethren  in  Daviess  County,  whom  they  had  heard 
were  in  great  peril.  By  the  time  they  arrived,  however, 
they  found  that  matters  had  quieted  down,  and  that 
there  was  no  need  of  their  assistance.  But  before  return 
ing  home,  they  managed  to  extort  from  the  justice  of 
the  peace  of  that  part  of  the  county  and  the  judge-elect 
for  the  county  a  promise  that  he  would  administer  the 
law  justly  and  not  join  the  mob  against  the  Mormons.2 

1  Mormon  settlements  were  made  in  both  Daviess  and  Carroll 
counties,  as  well  as  in  Caldwell. 

2  This  promise  was  made  in  writing  and  is  as  follows :   "I,  Adam 
Black,  A  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Daviess  County,  do  hereby  sertify 
to  the  people  called  Mormin  that  he  is  bound  to  support  the  con 
stitution  of  this  State  and  of  the  United  States,  and  he  is  not  attached 
to  any  mob  nor  will  attach  himself  to  any  such  people,  and  so  long 
as  they  will  not  molest  me  I  will  not  molest  them.     This  eighth  day 
of  August,  1838.     Adam  Black,  J.  P." 


222  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

In  doing  this  the  Mormons  made  a  mistake,  as  it  afforded 
their  enemies  a  chance  to  institute  proceedings  against 
them  in  the  courts.  Indeed,  warrants  were  secured  for 
the  arrest  of  Smith  and  others,  charging  them  with  having 
entered  another  county  armed  and  with  having  com 
pelled  a  justice  of  the  peace  to  give  them  a  promise  of 
security.  The  trial  was  set  for  September  7. 

This  marked  the  beginning  of  the  end  of  the  Mormons  in 
Missouri.  From  this  time  on  the  relations  between  the 
Mormons  and  the  Missourians  became  more  and  more 
hostile  and  the  demand  for  the  expulsion  of  the  Mormons 
from  the  State  grew  rapidly.  In  fact,  a  state  of  civil  war 
soon  came  to  exist  in  Caldwell,  Daviess,  and  Carroll 
counties,  and  continued  until  the  last  of  the  Mormons 
left  for  Illinois  the  following  spring. 

3.  other  The  details  of  this  strife  need  not  concern  us  here,  al- 

ties  though  a  few  of  the  more  important  events  may  well  be 
mentioned.  Shortly  after  the  trouble  started,  the  Mor 
mons  began  to  abandon  their  more  remote  settlements 
and  to  concentrate  at  Far  West  and  Adam-ondi-Ahman.1 
Those  at  Dewitt  in  Carroll  County,  on  finding  that  the 
governor  would  not  pay  any  attention  to  their  petition, 
agreed  to  leave  their  settlement  on  being  paid  for  the  im 
provements  which  they  had  made,  and  to  move  to  Far 
West.  Armed  bands  of  Mormons  and  Missourians  rode 
over  the  country  stealing  and  pillaging.  Houses  were 
burned  down  not  only  in  the  country  but  also  in  the  towns. 

1  Adam-ondi-Ahman  was  situated  on  Grand  River  in  Daviess 
County,  twenty-five  miles  west  of  Far  West.  It  was  founded  in 
obedience  to  a  revelation  which  Smith  claimed  to  have  received 
regarding  it.  It  was  named  Adam-ondi-Ahman  "because  it  is  the 
place  where  Adam  shall  come  to  visit  his  people."  Smith  also 
declared  that  three  years  before  his  death  Adam  had  gathered  at  this 
place  a  number  of  priests  and  all  of  his  posterity  who  were  righteous, 
and  had  blessed  them.  Popular  tradition  in  Daviess  County  to-day 
holds  that  the  Mormons  taught  that  Adam  was  buried  at  this  place, 
and  people  generally  speak  of  the  place  as  "Adam's  grave."  But 
the  Mormons  deny  that  they  ever  held  this  view. 


THE  MORMON  TROUBLES  IN  MISSOURI  223 

A  band  of  about  eighty  Mormons  made  an  attack  upon 
Gallatin  in  Daviess  County  one  night,  burning  some  of 
the  houses  and  robbing  others.  Another  band  defeated  a 
detachment  of  State  militia  under  Captain  Bogart  on  the 
Crooked  River  (October  23),  for  which  revenge  was  taken 
by  a  mounted  force  of  Missourians  at  Hawn's  Mill  on 
October  30. 

About  four  days  before  this  attack  on  Hawn's  Mill,  Expulsion 
Governor  Boggs,  who  had  begun  to  realize  how  serious  sTate^6 
the  situation  was,  ordered  General  Clark  to  raise  a  force 
of  400  mounted  men  for  the  protection  of  the  citizens  of 
Daviess  County,  and  on  the  next  day  he  issued  to  Clark 
an  order  which  has  come  to  be  known  as  the  "extermi 
nating  order."  After  informing  Clark  that  he  had  just 
received  "information  of  the  most  appalling  character, 
which  entirely  changes  the  face  of  things  and  places  the 
Mormons  in  the  attitude  of  an  open  and  avowed  defiance  i.  Governor 
of  the  laws  and  of  having  made  war  upon  the  people  of 
the  State,"  he  declared  that  "the  Mormons  must  be  Order 
treated  as  enemies  and  must  be  exterminated  or  driven 
from  the  State  if  necessary  for  the  public  peace."  In 
issuing  such  an  order  as  this,  Governor  Boggs  laid  himself 
open  to  criticism  that  has  been  practically  unanswerable. 
The  best  defense  that  can  be  made  in  the  governor's 
behalf  is  in  the  language  that  had  been  used  by  Rigdon 
in  his  Fourth  of  July  Speech  at  Far  West,  in  which  he 
had  declared  that  if  the  Mormons  were  disturbed  by  the 
Missourians  any  further,  it  should  be  between  them 
a  "war  of  extermination."  But  this  rather  extravagant 
language  on  the  part  of  Rigdon  was  hardly  sufficient 
justification  for  the  harsh  official  order  of  the  governor. 
From  that  day  to  this  the  Mormons  have  been  able  to 
command  sympathy  for  their  cause  because  of  Governor 
Boggs'  very  intemperate  language. 

Acting  upon  the  governor's  orders,  General  Lucas 
started  with  a  large  force  from  near  Richmond  for  Far 
West.  On  hearing  of  the  approach  of  this  force,  the 


224 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Surrender 
of  Mormons 
to  General 
Lucas 


3.  Trial  of 
Smith  and 
Others 


Mormons  began  to  erect  a  barricade  along  the  south 
western  border  of  the  town  for  protection.  As  soon  as 
Lucas  reached  Far  West,  he  demanded  that  the  Mormon 
leaders  should  be  surrendered  for  trial ;  that  the  rest 
should  leave  the  State ;  that  all  who  had  taken  up  arms 
should  surrender  their  property ;  and  that  all  should  give 
up  their  arms.  His  demands  were  complied  with,  and 
disbanding  the  main  part  of  his  force  he  then  set  out  for 
Independence  with  Smith  and  five  other  Mormon  leaders 
as  prisoners.  Later,  General  Clark  came  to  Far  West 
and  arrested  forty-six  additional  Mormons  and  sent  them 
to  Richmond  for  trial.  He  had  meanwhile  ordered  the 
other  six  Mormon  prisoners  transferred  from  Independence 
to  Richmond  also. 

The  trial  of,  these  Mormon  prisoners  was  begun  before 
Judge  A.  A.   King  at  Richmond  on  November   12.     A 

long  list  of  witnesses  was 
examined,  among  whom 
were  many  Mormons  who 
gave  evidence  against  the 
prisoners.  Most  of  this 
testimony  was  very  detri 
mental  to  the  Mormons, 
but  they  claimed  that 
the  witnesses  had  been 
frightened  into  rendering 
this  damaging  evidence. 

Several  of  the  defendants 
were  discharged  for  lack  of 
sufficient  evidence.  But 
Smith,  Rigdon,  and  four 
others  were  ordered  committed  to  jail  at  Liberty  on  the 
charge  of  treason,  and  five  others  to  the  jail  at  Richmond 
on  the  charge  of  murder.  Twenty- three  others  were 
ordered  to  give  bail  on  the  charge  of  arson,  burglary, 
robbery,  and  larceny.  Only  eight  of  these,  however, 
could  furnish  bail. 


THE  JAIL  AT   LIBERTY,    MISSOURI, 
IN  1838 

In  this  jail  Smith  and  five  other 
Mormons  were  pla,ced  for  safe  keeping 
after  they  had  been  charged  with 
treason.  From  Smith's  Young  People's 
History. 


THE  MORMON  TROUBLES  IN  MISSOURI  225 

On  April  6  Smith  and  his  fellow  prisoners  were  taken 
to  Gallatin  for  trial.  Smith  and  four  others  were  indicted 
immediately  for  "  murder,  treason,  burglary,  arson,  lar 
ceny,  theft,  and  stealing."  They  at  once  took  a  change 
of  venue  to  Boone  County,  and  a  few  days  later  they 
started  for  Columbia,  the  county  seat  of  that  county, 
under  guard.  But  they  never  reached  their  destination. 
In  some  way  they  managed  to  make  their  escape  from  the 
guard  and  arrived  in  Quincy,  Illinois,  on  April  22,  where 
they  were  warmly  welcomed  by  their  brethren,  who  mean 
while  had  been  driven  out  of  Missouri. 

It  will  be  recalled  that  the  Mormons  at  Far  West  had  4-  Exodus  of 
agreed,  on  surrendering  to  General  Lucas,  to  leave  the 
State.  But  as  one  might  expect,  they  did  not  desire  to 
leave  and  hence  they  sought  to  find  some  means  of  escape 
from  the  agreement.  They  invoked  the  aid  of  the  legis 
lature  and  asked  for  a  law  that  would  rescind  the  extermi 
nating  order  of  Governor  Boggs  and  set  aside  the  agree 
ment  which  they  had  made  with  General  Lucas.  But  the 
legislature  failed  to  respond,  so  the  Mormons  finally 
gave  up  all  hope  of  being  able  to  stay  in  Missouri  and 
began  to  move  to  Illinois.  It  was  not,  however,  until 
April  23  that  the  last  of  them  left  Far  West.  In  all  about 
15,000  Mormons  moved  out  of  the  State. 

Their  migration  was  attended  by  considerable  hard 
ship,  chiefly  because  they  had  lost  a  great  deal  of  their 
movable  property  at  the  hands  of  the  Missourians  during 
the  period  of  strife  just  preceding  their  migration.  Mis 
sourians  claimed  that  in  taking  horses,  cattle,  hogs,  and 
household  goods  from  the  Mormons  they  were  merely 
recovering  what  the  Mormons  previously  had  taken  from 
them.  Many  of  the  Mormons  found  themselves  greatly 
impoverished  by  the  time  they  reached  the  Mississippi 
River. 

After  they  finally  settled  down  in  Illinois,  they  under 
took  to  get  redress  for  their  grievances.  In  a  petition 
submitted  to  Congress  they  stated  that  their  losses  in 


226 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Return  of 
the  Mor 
mons  to 
Missouri 


Missouri  had  amounted  to  $2,000,000.  But  Congress 
declined  to  have  anything  to  do  with  the  matter,  claiming 
that  it  lay  altogether  with  the  State  of  Missouri. 

With  the  history  of  the  Mormons  in  Illinois  we  are  not 
especially  concerned.  We  may  be  justified,  however,  in 
noting  that  they  were  well  received  in  Illinois ;  that 
they  settled  in  a  town  which  they  renamed  Nauvoo,  and 
developed  it  on  a  large  scale ;  that  in  the  course  of 
time  strife  arose  between  the  people  of  Illinois  and  the 
Mormons,  leading  to  the  arrest  of  Smith  and  ultimately 
to  his  murder  in  1844;  and  that  finally  in  1848  most  of 
them  left  Illinois  and  made  their  way  to  Utah.  It  was  in 
this  latter  region  that  the  "  forty-niners  "  on  their  way  to 
the  goldfields  of  California  found  them  making  the  first 
efforts  to  establish  themselves  in  a  wilderness. 

Shortly  after  the  Civil  War  the  Mormons  began  to 
come  back  into  Missouri  and  settle  in  and  around  In 
dependence.  By  that  time  different  sects  had  arisen 
among  them,  the  most  important  being  the  Utah  Mormons 
who  followed  Brigham  Young,  and  the  Reorganized  Lat 
ter  Day  Saints,  who  chose  as  their  leader  the  son  of  the 
Prophet.  But  the  first  Mormon  sect  to  appear  at 
Independence  was  the  "  Hedrickites,"  so  named  after  their 
leader,  Granville  Hedrick,  who  came  from  Illinois  in  1867. 
Although  they  have  never  been  a  large  sect,  and  even  to 
day  (1918)  number  less  than  100,  they  managed  to  get 
possession  of  Temple  Lot  in  Independence  shortly  after 
they  arrived  there.  Several  years  ago  their  title  to  this 
lot  was  contested  by  the  Reorganized  Latter  Day  Saints, 
but  after  a  long  drawn  out  and  bitter  struggle  in  the 
courts  they  were  able  to  secure  a  decision  in  their  favor. 
Notwithstanding  their  small  number,  they  firmly  believe 
that  some  day  they  will  be  able  to  establish  Zion  and  build 
a  temple  on  this  lot  in  fulfillment  of  Smith's  prophecies. 

The  Reorganized  Saints  now  constitute  a  large  part 
of  the  population  of  Independence,  and  although  the 
headquarters  of  their  church  are  at  Lamoni,  Iowa,  it  is 


THE   MORMON  TROUBLES   IN   MISSOURI  227 

their  expectation  to  move  these  headquarters  to  Inde 
pendence  sooner  or  later.  The  Utah  Mormons  also  have 
established  a  stake  there,  but  they  are  not  very  numerous 
as  yet.  Each  of  these  two  sects  confidently  expects  some 
day  to  acquire  possession  of  Temple  Lot,  and  each  ex 
pects  also  that  it  will  have  the  honor  and  glory  of  build 
ing  the  temple. 

REFERENCES 

Linn,  Story  of  the  Mormons,  pp.  1-215.  The  most  complete  ac 
count  of  the  Mormons  ever  written  from  the  non-Mormon  point  of 
view.  Written  directly  from  the  sources.  Roberts,  The  Missouri 
Persecutions.  The  best  account  of  the  Mormon  troubles  in  Missouri 
from  the  Mormon  point  of  view.  Evans,  One  Hundred  Years  of 
Mormonism,  pp.  1-283.  A  survey  of  the  history  of  Mormonism 
from  the  Mormon  point  of  view.  Smith,  Joseph,  History  of  Joseph 
Smith,  the  Prophet.  An  autobiography  which  constitutes  vol.  i  of 
A  History  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints.  Smith 
and  Smith,  History  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints, 
vols.  i  and  ii.  The  complete  work  consists  of  four  volumes  covering 
in  great  detail  the  history  of  the  Mormon  church  from  earliest  times, 
with  special  attention  to  the  religious  phase.  Published  by  the 
Reorganized  Church,  and  hence  antagonistic  to  the  claims  of  the 
Utah  Mormons.  Vida  E.  Smith,  Young  People's  History  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints,  vol.  i.  A  book  written 
for  young  people  and  richly  illustrated.  The  pictures  used  in  this 
chapter  are  taken  from  this  book.  Lee,  The  Mormon  Menace,  pp. 
I- 1 06.  An  account  of  the  Mormons  written  by  John  Doyle  Lee  in 
1877  after  his  conviction  for  murder  in  the  Mountain  Meadow 
Massacre  in  1857.  Originally  this  book  was  known  as  the  "Con 
fessions  of  John  Doyle  Lee."  Reprinted  in  1905  under  the  title 
first  given.  The  author  was  executed  in  1877.  Journal  of  History, 
a  quarterly  publication  issued  by  the  Reorganized  Church  and 
edited  by  Heman  C.  Smith,  the  historian  of  that  Church.  It 
contains  many  well-written  articles  on  the  Mormon  troubles  in 
Missouri,  all  of  which  are  naturally  very  favorable  to  the  Mormons. 
Boggs,  "A  Short  Biographical  Sketch  of  Governor  Lilburn  Boggs," 
in  the  Missouri  Historical  Review  for  January,  1910,  pp.  106-110* 
Written  by  the  son  of  the  governor  at  the  time  of  the  Mormon 
troubles  in  Missouri.  A  defense  of  the  author's  father.  Smith, 
"Mormon  Troubles  in  Missouri,"  in  the  Missouri  Historical  Review 
for  July,  1910,  pp.  238-251. »  A  reply  to  the  article  by  Boggs  in  the 
January,  1910,  number  of  the  Review. 


CHAPTER   XI 


First 
Railroads 
in  the 
United 
States 


Reasons 

Why 

Missouri 

Delayed 

Building 

Railroads 


i.  Conserva 
tism  of 
the  People 


THE   RAILROADS  OF   MISSOURI 

[Historical  Setting.  —  i.  The  Railroads  in  the  United  States 
in  1850.  2.  The  Industrial  Development  after  the  Civil  War.] 

i.    PRIOR  TO  THE  CIVIL  WAR 

THE  first  railroad  that  was  built  in  the  United  States 
for  the  purpose  of  carrying  both  passengers  and  freight 
was  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio.  The  first  rail  of  this  road 
was  laid  on  July  4,  1828,  by  Charles  Carroll,  who  was  at 
that  time  the  only  surviving  signer  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence.  At  first  the  cars  and  coaches  were  drawn 
by  horses,  but  in  a  year  or  two  the  locomotive  engine  was 
introduced.  By  1830  fifteen  miles  of  this  road  had  been 
completed.  Already  other  railways  were  being  planned 
and  in  a  few  years  were  under  construction,  so  that  by 
1850  a  little  more  than  9000  miles  had  been  built. 

Notwithstanding  all  this  progress  in  railroad  building 
throughout  the  United  States,  not  one  mile  was  con 
structed  in  Missouri  until  1851,  unless  a  five-mile  road 
whose  rails  and  cross-ties  were  built  entirely  of  timber, 
and  which  extended  from  Richmond  to  a  point  on  the 
Missouri  River  opposite  Lexington,  is  counted  as  a  rail 
road.  This  road  was  built,  it  is  thought,  in  1849  or  1850, 
and  was  operated  by  horse  power. 

The  question  naturally  arises  why  Missouri  was  so 
long  without  railroads.  The  answer  is  to  be  found  first 
of  all  in  the  conservative  character  of  the  people,  which 
has  been  a  marked  trait  of  Missourians  throughout  their 
history.  Railroads  were  an  innovation  in  1830,  and  the 

228 


THE   RAILROADS   OF   MISSOURI  2 29 

general  feeling  in  Missouri  seems  to  have  been  that  there 
should  be  no  haste  in  introducing  them.  The  bitter 
experiences  which  many  other  states  had  had  in  promoting 
railroads  during  the  thirties  no  doubt  strengthened  this 
natural  conservativeness  of  the  people  of  Missouri.  Even 
as  late  as  1847  Governor  Edwards  said  that  a  campaign 
of  education  was  needed  to  make  the  people  appreciate 
the  uses  and  advantages  of  macadamized  roads,  rail 
roads,  and  canals. 

In  the  second  place,  the  State  was  fortunate  in  having  2.  Natural 
great  natural  highways  of  commerce  in  the  Mississippi  Hl^hways 
and  the  Missouri  rivers  and  their  tributaries.  The  inven 
tion  of  the  steamboat  made  these  natural  highways  all  the 
more  important  and  profitable  to  Missouri  by  establishing 
connections  not  only  with  the  outside  world,  but  also 
between  different  parts  of  the  State.  Towns  sprang  up 
along  the  Mississippi  and  the  Missouri  and  their  tributaries, 
and  though  they  were  not  large,  they  did  a  thriving  busi 
ness.  Many  of  them  were  connected  with  the  outlying 
districts  by  well-constructed  roads  of  plank,  gravel,  or 
rock ;  these  were,  as  a  rule,  toll  roads  built  by  private 
parties  or  companies.  There  seems  never  to  have  been 
any  interest  in  the  State  in  the  building  of  canals  as 
many  other  states  were  doing  at  that  time. 

In  the  third  place,  money  was  lacking  to  build  and  3-  Lack  of 
operate  railroads.  The  population  of  Missouri  numbered 
only  140,455  in  1830  and  only  323,868  in  1840,  and  capital 
for  such  enterprises  was  not  available  among  so  few  people, 
especially  since  most  of  them  were  engaged  in  agricul 
ture.  It  appears  also  that  eastern  capitalists,  who  to 
day  furnish  so  much  of  the  capital  necessary  to  promote 
the  great  enterprises  of  our  country,  either  were  not  able 
to  take  up  railroad  building  in  Missouri  or  did  not  con 
sider  it  to  their  advantage  to  do  so.  From  the  first  it  was 
apparent  to  those  who  were  interested  in  having  railroads 
built  in  Missouri  that  assistance  must  be  secured  from 
either  the  National  or  the  State  government  or  from  both. 


230 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


Early  Agita 
tion  in 
Missouri  in 
Favor  of 
Railroads 


i.  First 
Railroad 
Convention, 
1836 


2.  Incor 
poration  of 
Eighteen 
Railroad^ 
1837 


Inasmuch  as  this  government  assistance  was  a  long  time 
in  materializing,  we  seem  to  find  here  the  chief  reason  for 
the  delay  in  the  beginning  of  railroad  construction  in 
Missouri. 

It  should  not  be  inferred,  however,  that  during  these 
twenty  years  (1830-1850)  no  efforts  were  made  to  get 
railroads  started  in  Missouri.  Agitation  for  them  began 
rather  early  and  the  first  step,  so  far  as  we  know,  was 
taken  in  1836.  On  April  30  of  that  year  the  first  railroad 
convention  held  in  Missouri  met  at  St.  Louis.  It  was 
attended  by  fifty-nine  delegates  from  eleven  different 
counties.1  Resolutions  were  passed  in  which  the  advan 
tages  of  railroads  were  set  forth.  Two  lines  of  railroads 
running  out  of  St.  Louis  were  recommended  :  one  was  to 
go  to  Fayette  by  way  of  St.  Charles,  Warrenton,  Fulton, 
and  Columbia  for  the  purpose  of  opening  up  an  agricul 
tural  region  ;  the  other  was  to  go  to  the  valley  of  Bellevue 
in  Washington  County,  with  a  branch  as  far,  at  least,  as 
the  Meramec  Iron  Works  in  Crawford  County,  for  the 
purpose  of  developing  a  mineral  region.  Congress  was 
petitioned  to  grant  500,000  acres  of  public  lands  to  en 
courage  these  enterprises,  and  the  suggestion  was  also 
made  that  the  State  of  Missouri  might  well  place  its 
credit  at  the  disposal  of  the  companies  that  would  under 
take  to  build  these  roads. 

In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  in  which  this  convention  was 
held,  Governor  Boggs  in  his  message  to  the  legislature 
expressed  himself  strongly  in  favor  of  a  general  system 
of  railroad  construction.  Acting  under  the  inspiration  of 
this  recommendation  and  doubtless  of  the  resolutions  of 
the  recent  railroad  convention,  the  legislature  proceeded 
to  incorporate  during  the  months  of  January  and  February, 
1837,  at  least  eighteen  railroad  companies  whose  aggre 
gate  capital  stock  amounted  to  about  $7,875,000.  The 

1  These  eleven  counties  were  St.  Louis,  Lincoln,  Washington, 
Cooper,  Warren,  St.  Charles,  Callaway,  Montgomery,  Boone, 
Howard,  and  Jefferson. 


THE   RAILROADS   OF  MISSOURI  231 

roads  of  these  companies  were  all  to  be  very  short,  rang 
ing  in  length  from  five  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles. 
They  were  to  connect  the  large  county  towns  with  each 
other  or  with  river  points.  Ten  of  the  eighteen  roads 
were  to  be  less  than  twenty-five  miles  in  length.  The 
capital  stock  of  these  companies  varied  from  $25,000  to 
$2,000,000,  though  in  most  cases  it  was  valued  at  $150,000 
or  less. 

To  appreciate  this  action  of  the  legislature  of  Missouri, 
one  must  recall  that  the  early  thirties  were  a  period  of 
general  speculation  throughout  the  whole  country,  and 
that  the  Missouri  legislature  in  chartering  railroad  com 
panies  so  freely  was  only  imitating  the  example  of  many 
other  states.  But  no  progress  amounting  to  anything  was 
ever  made  by  these  companies  toward  building  roads,  for 
which  no  doubt  the  panic  of  1837  was  largely  responsible. 

During  ten  years  or  more  after  it  had  become  apparent  3-  Decline  of 
that  none  of  the  companies  that  had  been  incorporated 
in  1837  would  ever  build  any  roads,  interest  in  railroads 
declined  to  a  very  low  state.  The  board  of  internal 
improvements  which  had  been  created  by  the  legisla 
ture  in  1838  to  supervise  and  control  all  the  State  roads, 
railroads,  slack  water  navigation,  and  canals  that  might 
be  authorized  by  law  wherein  the  State  should  own  or 
reserve  any  interests  or  rights,  was  abolished  in  1845. 
Moreover,  the  proceeds  that  had  been  realized  from  the 
sale  of  the  500,000  acres  of  land  granted  by  Congress  for 
the  purpose  of  assisting  internal  improvements  in  Mis 
souri  were  divided  among  the  counties  of  the  State  to  be 
used  in  the  construction  of  roads.  While  the  interest  in 
railroads  did  not  die  out  completely,  yet  it  reached  so  low 
an  ebb  that  in  1847  Governor  Edwards  said,  as  has  already 
been  mentioned,  that  it  was  necessary  to  begin  a  campaign 
of  education  among  the  people  to  convince  them  of  the 
advisability  of  providing  the  State  with  railroads.  It 
was  not  until  1850,  however,  that  the  people  again  became 
thoroughly  interested  in  the  matter. 


232 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Reasons  for 
the  Revival 
of  Interest 

i.  Increase 
in  Population 


2.  Recovery 
from  the 
Panic  of  1837 


3.  Lack  of 
Adequate 
Transporta 
tion  Facili- 


4.  Decline  of 
the  Santa 
Fe  Trade 


The  reasons  for  the  revival  of  interest  by  that  time  are 
obvious.  In  the  first  place,  the  population  of  the  State 
had  more  than  quadrupled  in  the  preceding  twenty  years. 
In  1830  it  was  140,455  ;  in  1850  it  was  682,044.  This 
increase  in  population  had  taken  place  not  only  in 
the  older  portions  of  the  State  —  that  is,  along  the 
Missouri  and  the  Mississippi  —  but  also  in  the  more  in 
land  parts. 

Not  only  had  there  been  a  marked  increase  in  the 
population  of  the  State  by  1850,  but  the  business  of  the 
country  at  large  had  begun  to  recover  from  the  effects 
of  the  panic  of  1837,  and  Missouri  shared  in  the  general 
revival.  Under  these  circumstances  Missourians  began 
to  realize  that  their  transportation  facilities  were  insuffi 
cient  for  a  notable  expansion  of  trade  and  commerce. 
Though  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  rivers  were  the 
natural  highways  of  commerce,  navigation  upon  them 
was  as  uncertain  then  as  now,  especially  upon  the  Mis 
souri  and  its  tributaries;  and  as  early  as  1838  the  State 
had  begun  to  petition  Congress  to  appropriate  funds 
toward  making  these  rivers  more  navigable.  Moreover, 
the  toll  roads  that  had  been  built  were  inadequate  except 
for  local  purposes.  If,  therefore,  the  resources  of  the 
State  were  to  be  developed  on  a  large  scale,  and  if  the 
commercial  interests  of  St.  Louis,  the  chief  trade  center 
of  the  State  and  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  were  to  be 
enhanced,  it  was  evident  that  better  transportation  facili 
ties  must  be  secured  as  soon  as  possible. 

This  fact  was  brought  home  to  the  people  of  Missouri 
very  forcibly  by  the  decline  of  the  Santa  Fe  trade.  From 
1821  to  1840  commercial  adventurers  from  Missouri, 
especially  from  St.  Louis,  had  maintained  considerable 
trade  by  means  of  pack  mules  and  wagons  between  Mis 
souri  and  Mexico,  as  we  have  seen  in  a  preceding  chapter. 
This  trade  was  at  its  height  in  1828,  but  after  1840  it 
began  to  decline. 

Not  only  had  Missouri's  trade  with  Mexico  been  cut 


THE   RAILROADS   OF   MISSOURI  233 

down,  but  the  rapid  growth  of  Chicago  as  a  trading  point  5-  Rise  of 
was  threatening  the  commercial  interests  of  St.  Louis  ^ Com-° aS 
and  the  rest  of  the  State  which  they  had  heretofore  main-  mercial 
tained  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  St.  Louis  had  a  popu-  Ccnter 
lation  of  80,081  in  1850  and  was  at  that  time  the  leading 
manufacturing  center  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  But 
Chicago  was  coming  on  at  a  markedly  rapid  pace.  It 
had  grown  from  a  mere  trading  post  of  4470  inhabitants 
in  1840  to  a  thriving  city  of  30,000  in  1850.  While  it 
was  as  yet  behind  St.  Louis  in  manufactures,  having  only 
about  one  fourth  as  much  invested  capital,  it  was  well 
in  the  lead  in  commerce.  More  corn,  wool,  lumber,  and 
hides  were  bought  and  sold  in  Chicago  than  in  St.  Louis. 
This  was  due  partly  to  the  opening  up  of  the  Illinois 
and  Michigan  Canal,  which  connected  Lake  Michigan 
and  the  Illinois  River,  and  partly  to  the  construction  of 
several  short  railroads  terminating  in  Chicago.  Realiz 
ing  the  vast  commercial  benefits  that  were  being  derived 
through  these  railroads,  Chicago  was  exerting  herself 
tremendously  to  have  them  extended  so  that  a  larger 
territory  might  be  reached.  It  seemed  evident  that  if 
matters  kept  on  going  as  they  had  started,  St.  Louis  would 
lose  most,  if  not  all,  of  the  trade  that  otherwise  her 
natural  position  would  bring  her  from  the  upper  Mississippi 
and  the  Illinois  country. 

But  there  was  another   unfavorable   prospect   for   St.   6.  Unde- 
Louis.     Not  only  was  her  trade  along  the  upper  Missis-  J^ade  with 
sippi  and  throughout  Illinois  thus  threatened  by  the  rail-   the  interior 
ways  that  were  being  built  out  from  Chicago,  but  there  of  thc  State 
was  little  or  nothing  being   done  to  increase  her  trade 
with  the  interior  of  Missouri.     Even  though  the  trade 
with  the  upper  Mississippi  and   the  Illinois  rivers   was 
threatened  by  the  rise  of  Chicago,  most  of  the  vessels 
that  reached  the  port  of  St.  Louis  in  1849  came   from 
those  rivers  and  not  from  the  Missouri.     The   agricul 
tural  and  mineral  resources  of  the  State  were  not  being 
worked  to  anything  like  their  fullest  capacity,  and  hence 


234 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Efforts  to 
Obtain  Con 
gressional 
Assistance 


i.  Grant  of 
500,000 
Acres  in  1841 


2.  Plans  for 
a  Trans 
continental 
Road 


there  was  no  prospect  of  any  great  increase  in  trade  with 
the  interior  of  the  State. 

At  the  same  time  that  Missourians  were  beginning  to 
realize  the  necessity  of  having  railroads,  they  were  also 
considering  how  the  funds  for  constructing  them  were 
to  be  obtained.  It  did  not  seem  possible  to  obtain  the 
necessary  money  from  private  capital  within  the  State. 
Even  as  late  as  1850  the  population  of  Missouri  was  only 
682,044  and  the  assessed  valuation  of  their  property  was 
only  $89,460,803,  and  inasmuch  as  agriculture  was  still 
the  chief  industry  of  the  State,  there  was  comparatively 
little  available  capital  for  large  enterprises  like  railroads. 

Since,  therefore,  it  seemed  impossible  to  get  the  neces 
sary  funds  for  railroads  from  private  capital  within  the 
State,  it  was  hoped  that  Congress  might  do  something 
toward  building  them.  We  have  seen  that  the  railroad 
convention  held  in  St.  Louis  in  1836  had  asked  Congress 
to  grant  500,000  acres  of  public  land  to  aid  in  building 
the  two  roads  that  it  proposed.  Moreover,  similar 
petitions  were  sent  to  Congress  at  different  times  there 
after,  asking  for  other  grants  of  land.  We  have  also 
seen  that  Congress  had  made  an  actual  grant  of  500,000 
acres  in  1841,  which  the  Missouri  legislature  voted  in 
1845  to  dispose  of  to  the  counties  when  it  became  apparent 
that  none  of  the  roads  that  had  been  chartered  in  1837 
would  be  built. 

But  if  there  was  little  in  this  on  which  to  base  any 
great  expectations,  there  was  reason  to  believe,  for  a 
time  at  least,  that  Congress  would  provide  for  a  trans 
continental  road  that  would  connect  the  Atlantic  and 
the  Pacific,  and  efforts  were  made  to  get  Congress  to 
build  this  road  through  Missouri.  There  was,  between 
1840  and  1850,  considerable  agitation  concerning  a  trans 
continental  road,  and  after  the  acquisition  of  California 
and  the  discovery  of  gold  in  that  region,  this  project  was 
discussed  more  than  ever.  The  question  as  to  where 
this  line  should  cross  the  Mississippi  was  a  vital  one, 


THE  RAILROADS   OF  MISSOURI  235 

and  three  different  points  were  proposed — Prairie  du 
Chien  in  Wisconsin,  St.  Louis  in  Missouri,  and  Memphis 
in  Tennessee.  People  in  Missouri  were  interested  in 
having  this  road  pass  through  St.  Louis  and  across  the 
State,  and  a  convention  was  held  in  St.  Louis  in  the  fall 
of  1849  to  foster  that  scheme.  The  meetings  were  at 
tended  by  about  1000  delegates,  more  than  one  half  of 
whom  came,  as  was  natural,  from  Missouri,  and  more 
than  one  fourth  from  Illinois.  But  there  were  delegates 
from  ten  other  states,  including  Pennsylvania,  New  York, 
Ohio,  Indiana,  Kentucky,  Wisconsin,  Iowa,  Michigan, 
Louisiana,  and  Tennessee. 

As  far  as  practical  results  are  concerned,  nothing  came 
from  this  agitation.  Senator  Benton,  it  is  true,  intro 
duced  a  bill  in  the  Senate  for  the  building  of  a  road  from 
St.  Louis  to  San  Francisco  out  of  the  nation's  resources, 
but  it  got  very  little  consideration.  In  fact,  as  far  as 
members  of  Congress  showed  any  interest  in  a  trans 
continental  railroad  at  all,  they  favored  a  northern  route 
in  preference  to  either  of  the  two  southern  routes  that  had 
been  proposed. 

As  it  appeared  that  help  from  Congress  was  not  to  be  Grant  of 
had,  the  feeling  grew  among  Missourians  that  State  aid  State  Md 
must  somehow  be  secured.     The  experience  which  other 
states  had  had  in  attempting  to  construct  and  operate 
railroads   as   state  enterprises,   or  in  holding   a   certain 
amount  of  stock  in  railroads,  was  such  as  to  make  it 
inadvisable    to    do    either    of    these    things.     Governor  i.  Governor 
King,  therefore,  proposed  to  the  legislature  in  his  message  ^j^tothe 
in  1850  that  the  State  should  put  its  credit  to  the  use  Legislature 
of  the  railroad  companies  by  issuing  bonds  and  lending 
to  them  the  money  realized  from  the  sale  of  these  bonds. 
In  return  the  companies  were  to  pay  annual  interest  at 
the  rate  of  six  per  cent  and  to  pay  off  the  principal  in 
twenty  years. 

The   action   taken    by  the    legislature,  to  which  this  2.  Law  of 
suggestion  was  made,  indicates  that  it  was  most  heartily  l8si 


236 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


3.  Issue  of 
State  Bonds 
to  the 
Amount  of 
$24,950,000 
by  1860 


Construc 
tion  of  the 
Roads 


i.  Beginning 
of  the  Pacific 
Railroad  in 
1851 


approved.  On  February  22,  1 8 5 1 ,  a  law  was  passed  which 
granted  aid  to  two  railroad  companies,  the  Hannibal  and 
St.  Joseph  and  the  Pacific.  To  the  former  there  was 
granted  $1,500,000  and  to  the  latter  $2,000,000.  The 
Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph,  which  had  been  incorporated 
in  1847,  was  to  build  a  road  which  would  connect  Hanni 
bal  on  the  Mississippi  with  St.  Joseph  on  the  Missouri. 
The  Pacific,  which  had  been  incorporated  between  1847 
and  1851,  was  to  construct  a  road  which  would  run  from 
St.  Louis  to  Jefferson  City  and  from  thence  to  the  western 
boundary  of  the  State. 

Now  that  Missouri  had  entered  upon  a  policy  of  grant 
ing  aid  in  the  building  of  railroads,  it  was  not  slow  in 
enlarging  its  plans.  By  1860  it  had  issued  bonds  in 
behalf  of  six  different  railroad  companies  to  the  extent 
of  $24,950,000.  The  roads  of  these  companies  were  the 
Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph,  now  a  part  of  the  Burlington 
system ;  the  Pacific,  now  a  part  of  the  Frisco  system ; 
the  North  Missouri,  now  a  part  of  the  Wabash  system; 
the  St.  Louis  and  Iron  Mountain,  now  a  part  of  the  St. 
Louis  and  Iron  Mountain  system;  the  Platte  County, 
now  a  part  of  the  Burlington  system ;  the  Cairo  and  Ful 
ton,  now  a  part  of  the  St.  Louis  and  Iron  Mountain  system. 
A  few  words  on  the  history  of  the  granting  of  these  bonds 
and  of  the  progress  made  in  railroad  construction  up  to 
about  1860  are  in  order  at  this  point. 

Very  shortly  after  the  legislature  made  its  first  grant 
to  railroad  companies  in  1851  the  work  of  constructing 
the  Pacific  was  begun.  This  road  was  planned  to  begin 
at  St.  Louis  and  to  extend  to  the  western  boundary  of 
the  State.  The  work  of  construction  was  inaugurated  on 
July  4,  1851,  by  Mayor  Kennett  of  St.  Louis.  But 
progress  was  very  slow  for  some  time,  only  five  miles  hav 
ing  been  built  by  the  close  of  1852.  However,  the  first 
locomotive  used  west  of  the  Mississippi  was  placed  upon 
its  tracks  about  that  time,  and  regular  traffic  on  the  few 
miles  that  had  been  built  was  begun. 


THE  RAILROADS  OF   MISSOURI 


237 


THE  FIRST  LOCOMOTIVE  ON  THE  NORTH 
MISSOURI  RAILROAD,  NOW  THE  WABASII 

Note  the  small  size  of  this  type  of  engine  as 
compared  with  the  modern  locomotive. 


Meanwhile,  the  Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph  which,  as 
we  have  seen,  had  also  been  given  aid  by  the  legislature  in 
1851  along  with  the 
Pacific,  had  done 
nothing  toward  con 
structing  its  road. 

If  the  legislature 
had  seen  fit,  it  could 
have  granted  aid  to 
other  railroad  com 
panies  in  1851,  as 
there  were  many 
applicants  for  such 
favors.  Although 
it  declined  to  make 
numerous  or  extensive  grants  at  first,  the  way  was  opened 
up  for  those  companies  that  had  received  grants  to  ask 
for  more  help  and  also  for  others  to  submit  their  claims 
for  consideration.  When,  therefore,  the  legislature  met 
in  1852,  it  was  asked  to  extend  further  aid  to  railroad 
companies,  and  in  December  of  that  year  it  authorized 
the  issuing  of  railroad  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $4,750,000 
for  the  benefit  of  the  North  Missouri,  the  St.  Louis  and 
Iron  Mountain,  the  Pacific,  and  the  Southwest  Branch 
of  the  Pacific.1 

Meanwhile  Congress  had  given  substantial  encourage 
ment  to  railroads  in  Missouri  in  the  form  of  a  land  grant 
to  the  State,  which  was  to  be  used  in  aiding  the  construc 
tion  of  the  Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph  and  the  Pacific  roads. 
Similar  grants  for  other  roads  were  made  at  later  times. 

Notwithstanding  this  liberal  patronage  of  the  State 
and  the  National  governments,  progress  in  actual  con 
struction  was  very  slow.  It  soon  became  apparent  that 

1  The  grants  of  1851  and  1852  amounted  to  $8,250,000  as  follows  : 
Pacific,  $3,000,000;  Southwest  Branch,  $1,000,000 ;  Hannibal  and 
St.  Joseph,  $1,500,000;  North  Missouri,  $2,000,000;  St.  Louis  and 
Iron  Mountain,  $750,000. 


2.  Grant  of 
State  Aid 
in  1852 


3.  Grant  of 
Lands  by 
Congress 


4.  Delay  in 
Construction 


238 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


(a)  Legisla 
tive  Inquiry 


(b)  Report 
of  the  Legis 
lative  Com 
mission 


more  money  was  needed  to  complete  the  roads  than  had 
been  anticipated  at  the  outset.  The  actual  cost  of  con 
struction  was  from  thirty  to  one  hundred  per  cent  greater 
than  had  been  expected.  Moreover,  the  bonds  that  had 
been  issued  by  the  State  to  the  railroad  companies  had 
been  sold  at  a  great  discount,  owing  to  the  scarcity  of 
money.  Under  these  circumstances  the  companies  asked 
the  legislature  in  1855  for  further  assistance. 

As  was  natural,  people  began  to  ask  why  greater  progress 
in  construction  had  not  been  made  and  why  the  legislature 
should  be  asked  to  give  more  help.  There  was  much  talk 
of  waste  and  jobbery,  and  the  legislature  appointed  a 
commission  to  investigate  the  matter. 

The  commission  found  that  of  the  $8,250,000  which 
had  already  been  granted  to  the  railroad  companies  in 
bonds  of  the  State,  only  $4,580,000  had  up  to  that  time 
actually  been  issued  to  them,  and  that  less  than  one  hun 
dred  miles  of  railway  were  in  operation.  It  also  found  the 
different  roads  in  varying  stages  of  construction.  The 
Pacific,  which  was  the  only  company  that  had  taken  up 
the  entire  amount  of  the  bonds  that  had  been  granted 
to  it,  was  also  the  only  one  that  had  made  anything  like 
real  progress  in  road  building,  having  constructed  its 
road  as  far  as  Jefferson  City.  The  North  Missouri, 
however,  had  built  only  a  little  way  beyond  St.  Charles, 
and  while  the  Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph  and  the  St.  Louis 
and  Iron  Mountain  had  considerable  portions  of  their 
roads  under  construction,  neither  road  was  completed. 
The  commission  also  found  that  the  actual  cost  had  been 
greater  than  had  at  first  been  anticipated,  but  it  exoner 
ated  the  companies  of  any  graft  in  the  matter  of  salaries, 
engineering  expenses,  or  the  letting  of  contracts  for  work  or 
materials.  It  concluded  its  report  by  expressing  the  hope 
that  the  legislature  would  see  its  way  clear  to  extend 
such  further  aid  as  would  enable  these  companies  to  com 
plete  the  construction  of  their  roads. 

Acting   under   the   findings   and   recommendations   of 


THE   RAILROADS   OF   MISSOURI  239 

this    investigating    commission,   the    legislature   granted  5.  Legislative 
$11,000,000  in  State  bonds  to  the  various  railroad  com-  Grants»  l8ss 
panics   whereby   they   might   complete   what   they   had 
begun.1 

At  the  same  time  that  these  new  grants  were  made,  the 
legislature  provided  for  a  general  board  of  public  works 
through  which  the  State  would  be  able  to  keep  in  touch 
with  the  workings  of  the  railroads  all  the  time  and  to 
look  after  its  own  interests  therein. 

Now  that  the  railroad  companies  had  secured  addi-  6.  Gascon- 
tional  help  from  the  State,  the  work  of  construction  was  ^s 
taken  up  again  and  pushed  as  rapidly  as  possible.  In 
fact,  it  is  quite  evident  that  some  of  the  work  was  done 
in  a  very  hasty  and  imperfect  manner.  The  Gasconade 
River  bridge  disaster  of  November  i,  1855,  on  the  Pa 
cific,  is  evidence  of  this  haste  in  construction.  On  that 
day  an  excursion  train  of  ten  passenger  cars  was  started 
from  St.  Louis  to  Jefferson  City.  The  road  had  just  been 
completed  to  the  latter  point,  and  the  excursion  was 
planned  in  honor  of  that  event.  At  about  noon  the  train 
reached  the  Gasconade  River.  The  stone  piers  and 
abutments  of  the  bridge  over  this  river  had  been  com 
pleted,  but  the  superstructure  was  as  yet  unfinished.  A 
temporary  superstructure  had  been  constructed  in  order 
that  this  train  might  cross  over.  It  was  not  strong 
enough,  however,  to  bear  the  weight  of  the  heavily  loaded 
train,  and  most  of  the  cars  were  dropped  into  the  river. 
Several  of  the  passengers,  among  whom  were  some  very 
prominent  citizens,  were  killed  outright,  and  many  others 
were  seriously  injured. 

In  spite  of  the  fact,  however,  that  extensive  grants  7-  Last 
had  been  made  to   the  railroad   companies,  it  was  evi- 
dent  that  all  of  them  except  the  Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph 

1  This  grant  was  distributed  as  follows :  Pacific  and  Southwest 
Branch,  $5,000,000;  Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph,  $1,500,000;  North 
Missouri,  $2,000,000;  St.  Louis  and  Iron  Mountain,  $2,250,000; 
Cairo  and  Fulton,  $250,000. 


240 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Railroad 
Mileage  in 
Missouri  in 
1860 


Default  of 
Railroads 
in  Payment 
of  Interest 


were  by  the  close  of  1856  very  greatly  in  need  of  more 
money.  Once  more  they  appealed  to  the  legislature 
for  help,  and  in  1857  another  grant  was  made,  this  time 
for  Ss^oOjOoo.1 

This  proved  to  be  the  last  grant  made  to  the  railroad 
companies  by  the  State.  An  effort  was  made  in  1860 
to  obtain  another  one,  but  it  failed.  Thereafter  no  further 
attempt  was  ever  made. 

As  has  already  been  said,  Missouri  had  by  1860  au 
thorized  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $24,950,000  in  favor  of 
six  different  railroad  companies,  or  of  seven  if  the  South 
west  Branch  of  the  Pacific  is  counted  as  a  separate  road. 
Thanks  to  this  generosity  on  the  part  of  the  State,  which 
seems  to  have  been  inspired  by  a  spirit  of  speculation 
almost  reckless  in  character,  715  miles  of  railroad  track 
had  been  laid  by  1860.  The  Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph 
had  been  completed  early  in  1859 ;  during  the  same  year 
the  North  Missouri  reached  Macon,  where  it  touched  the 
Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph,  and  the  St.  Louis  and  Iron 
Mountain  was  built  to  Pilot  Knob.  Meanwhile,  the 
Pacific  was  completed  to  Syracuse,  168  miles  west  from 
St.  Louis ;  but  the  other  three  roads,  the  Southwest 
Branch  of  the  Pacific,  the  Cairo  and  Fulton,  and  the 
Platte  County,  were  as  yet  in  a  very  incomplete  condi 
tion. 

2.    SINCE  THE  CIVIL  WAR 

As  might  be  expected,  the  period  of  the  Civil  War  was 
one  of  setbacks  and  financial  difficulties  for  the  railroad 
companies  of  Missouri.  Much  of  the  disaster  that  over 
took  them  was  due  to  the  war ;  but  even  if  the  war  had 
not  occurred,  it  is  quite  evident  from  the  developments 
of  the  years  1859  and  1860  that  the  railroad  companies 

1  This  amount  was  distributed  as  follows:  Pacific,  $1,000,000; 
Northwest  Branch,  $1,500,000;  North  Missouri,  $1,500,000;  St. 
Louis  and  Iron  Mountain,  $600,000 ;  Platte  County,  $700,000 ; 
Cairo  and  Fulton,  $400,000.  It  should  be  noted  that  the  Platte 
County  got  its  first  grant  at  this  time. 


THE  RAILROADS   OF  MISSOURI  241 

were  facing  bankruptcy.  On  January  i,  1859,  the  North 
Missouri  and  the  St.  Louis  and  Iron  Mountain  failed  to 
pay  the  interest  due  on  the  bonds  that  the  State  had 
issued  in  their  favor.  During  1860  the  Pacific,  the  South 
west  Branch,  the  Cairo  and  Fulton,  and  the  Platte 
County  likewise  defaulted.  Only  one  company,  the 
Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph,  continued  to  meet  regularly 
the  interest  charges  during  the  Civil  War  period.  At 
no  time,  however,  did  the  other  companies  ever  resume 
payment  of  interest  on  their  State  railroad  bonds. 

The  causes  for  the  default  of  these  railroad  companies 
were  the  lack  of  traffic,  the  unproductive  character  of 
the  land  grants  that  were  given  them,  the  excessive  cost 
of  construction,  and  the  loose  management  of  finances. 
In  fact  the  looseness  with  which  the  finances  of  the  com 
panies  were  conducted  almost  warrants  the  charge  that 
fraud  and  corruption  were  practiced  by  those  in  au 
thority. 

This  defaulting  of  the  railroad  companies  in  the  pay 
ment  of  interest  on  their  bonds  put  a  very  heavy  finan 
cial  burden  upon  the  State,  inasmuch  as  it  was  compelled 
to  pay  the  interest  on  these  bonds  in  order  to  keep  up  its 
credit.  This  burden  was  thrown  upon  the  State  at  a 
time  when  it  needed  its  strength  for  the  still  greater 
burden  that  the  war  was  destined  to  bring. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  all  of  the  railroad  companies  Private 
but  one  were  failing  to  meet  their  payments  of  interest,  0*ns  *? the 
the  delinquents  were  actually  asking  for  more  help  from 
the  State.  No  one  of  these  delinquents  had  completed 
its  road,  and  inasmuch  as  the  only  company  that  was  not 
behind  in  its  payment  of  interest  had  finished  the  con 
struction  of  its  road  by  1859,  the  other  companies  hoped 
that  if  they  could  only  find  the  means  whereby  they  could 
complete  their  roads,  they  too  would  be  able  to  pay  their 
interest  charges.  It  was  out  of  the  question,  however, 
for  the  State  to  extend  any  more  aid,  but  the  legislature 
enacted  certain  measures  which  authorized  two  of  the 


242  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

companies,  the  Pacific  and  the  North  Missouri,  to  borrow 
money  wherever  they  could  find  it,  and  to  give  mort 
gages  of  such  a  character  as  to  make  those  who  would 
lend  to  the  railroad  companies  the  first  creditors  instead 
of  the  State  of  Missouri. 


RAILROADS  IN  MISSOURI  IN  1865 
From  Million's  State  Aid  to  Railroads  in  Missouri. 

Railroad  From  the  money  that  was  thus  realized  from  such  loans 

Mileagein      and  from  bon(}s  issued  by  St.  Louis  County,  the  Pacific 
Missouri  in 

1865  was  enabled  to  resume  the  work  of  construction  in  1865, 

and  by  the  end  of  that  year  its  road  was  completed  to 
Kansas  City.  The  first  passenger  train  from  Kansas 
City  to  St.  Louis  made  the  trip  on  September  20,  1865. 

The  North  Missouri  was  not  as  fortunate  as  the  Pacific 
in  borrowing  money,  but  it  got  enough  during  1865  to 


THE  RAILROADS   OF  MISSOURI  243 

begin  the  construction  of  a  branch  from  Moberly  to  St. 
Joseph  and  to  begin  a  bridge  across  the  Missouri  at  St. 
Charles.  However,  neither  the  bridge  nor  any  part  of 
the  branch  road  was  completed  fcy  the  end  of  that  year. 

The  only  other  roads  aside  from  the  Pacific  that  actually 
added  to  their  mileage  during  the  war  were  the  Cairo  and 
Fulton  and  the  Platte  Country,  formerly  called  the  Platte 
County.  But  the  sum  total  of  mileage  constructed  dur 
ing  the  war  period  was  small,  amounting  to  only  113  miles, 
94  of  which  were  on  the  Pacific.  If  we  take  into  consider 
ation  the  financial  straits  into  which  the  companies  had 
fallen,  the  actual  destruction  of  many  parts  of  the  roads 
by  hostile  armies,  especially  of  the  Pacific  and  the  North 
Missouri,  and  the  generally  unfavorable  situation,  we  are 
somewhat  amazed  that  anything  at  all  was  done  toward 
extending  the  roads  during  this  period. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  all  of  the  railroad  companies  Sale  of  the 
except  the  Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph  had  discontinued 
paying  interest  on  their  State  bonds,  and  that  there  was 
no  prospect  of  their  ever  resuming  this  payment,  not 
withstanding  the  revival  of  business  after  the  close  of 
the  war,  the  legislature  decided  to  foreclose  their  mort 
gages  on  the  roads  and  apply  the  proceeds  upon  the  in 
debtedness  of  the  State.  Laws  were  therefore  passed 
during  1866  and  1868  providing  for  the  sale  of  the  roads 
of  the  defaulting  companies.  By  March,  1868,  all  of 
them  were  sold  and  the  State's  lien  on  them  was  released. 

The  total  amount  of  the  railroad  indebtedness  of  the   i.  Amount 
State  in  bonds   and   interest  on   January  i,   1868,  was 
$31,735,840.     Of  this  amount  $23,701,000  represented  the  Sale 
principal    of    the    bonds ; 1     the    remainder,    $8,034,840, 

1  The  State  had  authorized  the  issue  of  bonds  up  to  the  amount 
of  $24,950,000,  as  was  brought  out  in  an  earlier  portion  of  this 
chapter,  but  the  North  Missouri  forfeited  $1,100,000  and  the 
St.  Louis  and  Iron  Mountain  $99,000  because  of  their  defaulting  in 
the  payment  of  interest.  In  this  way  the  principal  of  the  State's 
indebtedness  had  been  kept  down  to  $23,701,000. 


244 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Farcical 
Investigation 
of  the  Sale 


3.  Condi 
tions  Im 
posed  on  the 
Purchasing 
Companies 


represented  the  interest.  The  amount  received  from 
the  sale  of  the  roads  and  from  the  delinquent  companies 
was  only  $6,131,496.  When  this  amount  was  applied 
to  the  State  indebtedness,  it  was  brought  down  to 
$24,604,344. 

Perhaps  no  chapter  in  the  financial  history  of  the  State 
is  as  shameful  as  this  one  regarding  the  sale  of  the  rail 
roads.  Charges  of  bribery  and  corruption  were  made 
on  all  sides,  and  if  no  other  evidence  was  available,  the 
way  in  which  the  legislature  pretended  to  carry  on  an 
investigation  regarding  these  charges  would  be  suffi 
ciently  conclusive  that  they  were  well  founded.  On 
March  23,  1868,  only  a  few  days  after  the  sale  of  the  St. 
Louis  and  Iron  Mountain,  the  Cairo  and  Fulton,  the 
North  Missouri,  the  Southwest  Branch,  and  the  Platte 
Country  roads,  and  only  a  few  days  before  the  sale  of 
the  Pacific,  the  legislature  appointed  a  joint  committee 
of  the  two  houses  to  investigate  the  charges  of  corrup 
tion  and  bribery.  While  some  of  the  members  of  this 
committee  had  not  voted  for  the  releasing  of  the  State's 
lien  on  the  roads  after  they  had  been  sold,  yet  the  leaders 
of  the  committee  were  men  who  had  been  very  energetic 
in  securing  that  action  and  who  had  been  all  but  open 
agents  of  the  companies  that  bought  up  the  roads.  More 
over,  the  committee  was  given  only  one  day  to  gather  its 
information  and  make  its  report.  As  a  consequence  this 
report,  as  may  well  be  imagined,  was  most  farcical. 

However,  when  the  sales  were  made,  conditions  were 
imposed  upon  the  purchasing  companies  which  in  them 
selves  were  very  desirable.  All  of  the  roads  that  were 
sold  were  unfinished,  and  the  State  released  her  lien  upon 
them  on  condition  that  they  should  be  completed  within 
a  given  time.  The  purchasing  companies  met  these  con 
ditions,  thus  adding  626  miles  of  railroads  to  what  had 
already  been  built  in  the  State  by  the  time  the  railroads 
had  been  sold.  This  brought  the  sum  total  railroad 
mileage  in  Missouri  up  to  1450  miles. 


THE   RAILROADS   OF   MISSOURI  245 

For  years  the  State  struggled  with  this  heavy  railroad  4.  Liquida- 
indebtedness,  to  which  had  meanwhile  been  added  the  Debt 


Civil  War  debt,  but  it  finally  cleared  itself  of  this  burden 
by  1903. 

But  the  experience  of  the  State  had  been  a  bitter  one, 
and  when  the  constitution  was  revised  in  1875,  it  con 
tained  a  clause  which  prohibited  the  use  of  the  credit  of 
the  State  to  assist  any  private  or  corporate  enterprise 
whatsoever.  Through  this  provision  the  State  has  saved 
itself  from  any  repetition  of  the  experiences  of  the  fifties 
and  sixties. 

Notwithstanding  all  these  severe   trials   of  the  State,   County  and 
there  is  another  chapter  in  the  history  of   railroads   in  ^j™0!?8:1, 

Aid  to  Rail- 

MlSSOUn  that  is  quite  as  disgraceful  as  the  one  we  have  roads  in 

just  finished.  With  the  restoration  of  peace  at  the  close  Missouri 
of  the  Civil  W^ar,  there  came  a  great  expansion  of  trade. 
It  was  apparent  under  these  conditions  that  there  were 
not  enough  railroads  in  the  State.  Large  sections  of 
Missouri  were  without  any  at  all,  and  the  people  wanted 
them  very  much.  Many  plans  were  proposed  for  supply 
ing  railroads,  most  of  which  included  county  and  munici 
pal  aid.  Companies  were  formed  and  railroads  pro 
jected,  and  counties  and  cities  were  asked  to  issue  bonds 
to  assist  in  building  these  new  roads.  Many  of  them 
voted  bonds  during  the  sixties  and  seventies  and  issued 
them  to  the  companies  that  had  been  organized.  In 
some  cases  the  roads  were  built  according  to  the  original 
contract,  but  in  many  instances  they  were  not  built  at 
all,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  bonds  had  been  issued  to 
the  companies  and  had  been  sold  by  them.  The  de 
frauded  counties  tried  to  resist  the  payment  of  their 
bonds,  but  the  courts  decided  against  them  and  gave 
judgment  for  the  bondholders.  There  are  yet  several 
counties  that  are  struggling  with  their  old  debts  for  rail 
roads  that  were  either  never  started  or  never  completed, 
and  in  many  of  them  there  may  yet  be  found  the  old 
roadbeds  of  some  of  the  unfinished  roads. 


246 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Railroad 
Develop 
ment  in 
Missouri 
since  1865 


In  spite  of  all  these  drawbacks  and  disgraceful  features, 
the  railroads  have  been  an  indispensable  means  of  de 
veloping  the  resources  of  Missouri,  and  a  network  of  them 
has  been  built  over  the  State,  which  in  1914  amounted 


RAILROADS  IN  MISSOURI  IN  1918 

Adapted  from  the  map  issued  by  the  State  Public  Utilities 
Commission  of  Missouri. 

to  8208  miles.1  At  present  (1918)  every  one  of  the  114 
counties  except  Ozark,  Dallas,  and  Douglas  has  at  least 
one  railroad  of  some  sort  passing  through  it. 

It  should  be  noted  here  that  the  first  railroads  built 
in  Missouri  were  intrastate  roads.  Up  to  at  least  the 
close  of  the  Civil  War  there  was  no  intention  of  extending 
beyond  its  borders  a  road  begun  within  the  State,  or  of 

1  There  were  in  the  United  States  that  year  (1914)  251,027  miles 
of  railroad. 


THE  RAILROADS   OF  MISSOURI  247 

making  any  road  a  part  of  great  interstate  systems. 
The  roads  of  Missouri  were  to  run  from  one  point  to  an 
other  within  the  State.  The  Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph 
and  the  Pacific  were,  for  example,  to  cross  the  State 
from  the  eastern  border  to  the  western,  the  former  from 
Hannibal  to  St.  Joseph  and  the  latter  from  St.  Louis  to 
Kansas  City ;  and  the  North  Missouri,  the  St.  Louis 
and  Iron  Mountain,  and  the  Southwest  Branch  were  to 
radiate  from  St.  Louis  in  different  directions  to  the  dif 
ferent  borders  of  the  State. 

But  though  none  of  the  Missouri  roads  was  to  cross   i.  Establish  - 
the  border  lines  of  the  State,  it  was  expected  that  other  Estate 
lines  would  be  built  in  the  neighboring  states  to  the  ter-  Systems 
minations  of  the  Missouri  roads  and  thus  give  the  State 
connections  with  the  outside  world.     The  first  of  these 
connections  to  be  secured  was  with  the  East.     By  1860 
railroads  had  been  built  to  St.  Louis  which  gave  her  con 
nection  with  Cleveland,  Cincinnati,  and  Pittsburgh,  and 
by  1863  St.  Louis  was  able  to  reach  the  Atlantic  coast 
by  way  of  the  railroads  that  were  completed  in  that  year 
between  St.  Louis  and  Chicago,  the  latter  place  having 
enjoyed  railroad  connection  with  the  Atlantic  coast  since 

1853- 

By  1870  Missouri  had  considerably  increased  her 
railroad  connection  with  the  outside  world.  From  St. 
Louis  lines  had  been  built  that  gave  her  access  to  such 
points  in  the  South  as  New  Orleans,  Mobile,  Nashville, 
Atlanta,  and  Charleston,  but  as  yet  she  was  without 
connection  with  Arkansas  or  that  part  of  Louisiana  west 
of  the  Mississippi,  or  with  Texas.  Other  lines  also  had 
been  built  giving  her  access  to  such  northern  points  as 
Des  Moines,  St.  Paul,  and  Omaha. 

Kansas  City  was  by  this  time  coming  to  be  a  railroad 
center  in  both  State  and  interstate  traffic.  Many  of  the 
new  roads  in  Kansas  were  built  to  Kansas  City,  and  con 
nections  were  established  there  with  the  newly  built 
road  to  the  Pacific  coast. 


248 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


By  1880  railroad  connections  were  made  between  Mis 
souri  and  the  great  southwest  and  northwest  portions  of 
our  country.  By  means  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  and 
Texas,  and  other  roads  built  through  to  Texas,  a  large 
scope  of  territory  was  made  commercially  tributary  to 
St.  Louis  and  other  trade  centers  in  the  State.  Since 


>° 

^ 

^~\  \  f  j^ 


THE  PRINCIPAL  RAILROADS  WEST  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI  IN  1884 

1880  the  railroad  connections  with  the  Southwest  and 
Northwest  have  been  increased,  and  new  sections  of  these 
regions  have  been  opened  up  to  Missouri  trade. 

2.  Consoli-  While  this  expansion  was  going  on  among  the  rail- 
R^iroads  ^  roads  in  and  out  of  the  State,  a  process  of  consolidation 
was  also  taking  place.  In  fact,  this  consolidation  was  one 
of  the  things  that  made  this  remarkable  expansion  possible. 
By  1898  twelve  companies  owned  85  per  cent  of  the  rail 
roads  of  Missouri,  and  practically  all  of  these  twelve 
companies  were  parts  of  interstate  systems. 


THE  RAILROADS  OF   MISSOURI 


249 


REFERENCES 

Million,  State  Aid  to  Railways  in  Missouri.  The  only  real 
authority  on  the  subject  of  early  railroads  in  Missouri.  One  of 
the  best  monographs  that  has  been  written  on  topics  in  Missouri 
history.  It  deals  chiefly  with  the  loans  that  were  made  by  the  State 
to  the  early  railroads  in  Missouri.  The  material  for  this  chapter 
was  drawn  largely  from  this  book.  Encyclopedia  of  Missouri 
History,  vol.  v,  pp.  275-291.  Four  short  articles,  one  dealing  with 
the  railroads  of  the  State  in  general  and  the  other  three  with  the 
railroads  of  St.  Louis,  Kansas  City,  and  St.  Joseph. 


KANSAS  CITY  AS  A  RAILROAD  CENTER 


CHAPTER   XII 


Early  Life 
of  Benton 


i.  Removal 
to  Tennessee 


THE   DOWNFALL   OF  THOMAS  HART   BENTON 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  Compromise  of  1850.] 

IN  1851  Thomas  Hart  Benton,  after  having  served 
Missouri  in  the  United  States  Senate  continuously  for 
thirty  years,1  was  defeated  for  reelection.  So  prominent 
and  influential  had  he  been  in  the  affairs  of  the  State  and 
the  nation,  that  some  explanation  must  be  given  for  his 
downfall.  And  if  this  is  to  be  done  satisfactorily,  a  few 
things  should  be  said  first  about  his  early  career  and  the 
political  situation  in  Missouri  during  the  period  of  his  un 
questioned  supremacy. 

Benton  was  born  in  North  Carolina  on  March  14,  1782, 
of  English  and  Scotch  parentage.  When  he  was  a  boy  of 
eight  years,  his  father  died,  leaving  the  care  of  a  large 
family  to  his  mother.  He  did  not  have  very  extensive 
educational  privileges,  attending  first  a  grammar  school 
kept  by  a  New  England  emigrant  to  North  Carolina,  and 
afterward  the  University  of  North  Carolina  for  not  more 
than  a  year.  In  1799  he  went  with  his  mother  to  Ten 
nessee  and  settled  upon  a  large  grant  of  land  which  his 
father  had  secured  not  very  far  from  Nashville.  Ten 
nessee  was  at  that  time  but  sparsely  settled,  and  "the 
widow  Benton's  settlement"  was  on  the  border  line 
between  civilization  and  the  powerful  southern  Indian 
tribes.  Young  Benton  was  put  in  charge  of  the  planta 
tion  and  apparently  was  successful  in  developing  it. 

1  This  record  has  been  equaled  only  once  in  Missouri  history. 
Francis  M.  Cockrell  served  in  the  United  States  Senate  from  1875  to 
1905- 

250 


THE   DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS   HART  BENTON      251 

But  he  was  not  destined  to  remain  a  plantation  owner.  2.  in 
He  looked  toward  the  law  as  a  profession,  and  soon  took  to  Tennessee 
teaching  school  and  to  reading  law  during  the  winter 
seasons.  In  1806  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  At  that 
time  there  was  much  dissatisfaction  in  Tennessee  with  the 
existing  judicial  system,  and  Benton  interested  himself  in 
its  reform.  A  series  of  articles  which  he  published  on  the 
subject  may  possibly  have  led  to  his  election  to  the  Ten 
nessee  senate  in  1809.  During  his  term  of  one  year  he 
introduced  the  bill  that  remodeled  the  judiciary  of  that 
state  and  he  also  interested  himself  in  a  number  of  other 
things,  such  as  the  trial  of  slaves  and  the  preemption  of 
government  lands. 

Shortly  before  the  War  of  1812  broke  out,  his  health  3-  Service  in 
began  to  fail  and  he  was  threatened  with  consumption,  i8j^ar° 
the  same  disease  that  had  caused  the  death  of  his  father 
and  five  of  his  brothers.  He  was  in  great  despair  over 
the  matter  and  "is  said  to  have  hailed  the  outbreak  of  the 
war  as  an  opportunity  to  end  his  life  in  action  rather  than 
in  the  slow  progress  of  a  fatal  disease."  He  therefore 
raised  a  regiment  of  Tennessee  recruits  and  placed  it  under 
General  Andrew  Jackson,  with  whom  he  had  been  on 
intimate  terms  for  some  time.  But  Benton's  ambitions 
were  never  realized,  greatly  to  his  disappointment.  His 
Tennessee  regiment  was  never  called  into  active  service, 
and,  although  he  was  later  made  a  lieutenant  colonel 
in  the  regular  army  and  started  for  Canada,  peace  came 
before  he  could  get  into  any  engagement.  The  open  air 
life,  however,  cured  him  of  the  incipient  disease,  and  he 
came  out  of  his  service  in  the  army  a  very  vigorous  man. 

Unfortunately  he  and  Jackson  fell  into  a  violent  quarrel  4-  Quarrel 
during  the  war.     While  he  was  off  on  a  trip  to  Washing-  Jackson 
ton  in  1813  and  incidentally  doing  Jackson  a  great  service 
there,  Jackson  consented  to  act  as  a  second  in  behalf  of  a 
man  named  Carrol  in  a  duel  with  Benton's  brother.     When 
Benton  returned  and  found  out  what  had  happened,  he 
was  furious  and  denounced  Jackson  in  unmeasured  terms, 


252 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


whereupon  Jackson  swore  publicly  that  he  would  horse 
whip  Ben  ton  at  their  next  meeting.  Sure  enough,  the 
next  time  they  met  they  fell  upon  one  another  in  true 


MISSOURI  COUNTIES  IN  1830 


Reproduced  by  permission  of  the  Political  Science  De 
partment  of  the  University  of  Missouri.  By  comparing  this 
map  with  the  one  for  1821  on  page  81,  and  with  the  five  maps  that  follow 
in  this  chapter,  one  may  trace  the  growth  in  the  number  of  counties  in  Missouri 
during  Benton's  career  as  United  States  Senator  from  Missouri,  that  is,  from 
1821  to  1851. 

frontier   fashion,   and   in   the   fight   Jackson   was    badly 
wounded.     This  occurred  on  September  4,  1813. 

Early  Career       This  encounter  proved  Benton's  undoing  in  Tennessee. 

in  St.  Louis     "Jackson  was  both  powerful  and  popular  in  Tennessee 


THE   DOWNFALL  OF   THOMAS   HART   BENTON      253 

and  his  friends  made  it  hot  for  the  Bentons."  When, 
later,  the  victory  at  New  Orleans  raised  Jackson's  popu 
larity  still  higher,  Benton  had  no  prospect  whatsoever  of 
succeeding  in  Tennessee.  For  that  reason  he  moved  to 


MISSOURI  COUNTIES  IN  1834 


Reproduced  by  permission  of  the  Political  Science  Depart 
ment  of  the  University  of  Missouri. 


St.  Louis  some  time  between  1815  and  1817,  and  settled 
down  to  make  for  himself  a  career  in  this  new  field. 

He  found  that  it  was  necessary  to  learn  a  new  system  I-  Entry 

,.    .,  .,  .,  1     TA  1  1  •   1  -11    into  Politics 

or  law  and  to  learn  to  speak  French,  which  was  still 
the  chief  language  of  St.  Louis.  By  reason  of  his  un 
bounded  energy  and  industry  he  made  himself  proficient 


254 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


in  these  things  and  soon  built  up  a  good  law  practice, 
especially  in  land  cases.  But  he  "paid  more  attention  to 
politics  than  to  law"  and  was  soon  making  himself  felt 


MISSOURI  COUNTIES  IN  1837 


Reproduced  by  permission  of  the  Political  Science 
Department  of  the  University  of  Missouri. 


in  public  affairs.  In  1817  he  was  appointed  a  member  of 
the  first  Board  of  School  Trustees  of  St.  Louis,  and  in 
1819  he  became  one  of  the  editors  of  the  St.  Louis  Enquirer 
and  later  part  owner  of  that  publication. 

2.  Editor  of         Through  the  columns  of  the  Enquirer  he  discussed  the 
the  Enquirer    current  issues,  national  and  local.     Among  the  first  to 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS  HART  BENTON   255 

engage  his  attention  was  the  treaty  that  was  made  between 
Spain  and  the  United  States  whereby  we  obtained  Florida 
and  in  return  relinquished  all  our  claims  to  Texas  as  a  part 
of  the  Louisiana  Purchase.  Ben  ton  was  very  much  opposed 
to  our  giving  up  Texas  and  wrote  several  strong  articles 
for  the  Enquirer  against  that  treaty,  as  well  as  against  the 


MISSOURI  COUNTIES  IN  1841 

Reproduced  by  permission  of  the  Political  Science 
Department  of  the  University  of  Missouri. 


one  made  in  1818  with  Great  Britain  for  the  joint  occupa 
tion  of  the  Oregon  country.  It  is  significant  that  at  that 
time  in  his  life  he  formulated  some  of  those  ideas  and 
opinions  concerning  the  significance  of  the  West  that  later 
distinguished  him  from  most  of  his  associates  in  the  United 
States  Senate.  He  also  wrote  some  very  telling  articles  on 
the  delay  of  Congress  in  admitting  Missouri  into  the  Union. 


256 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


3.  Election          He  was  not  a  member  of  the  constitutional  convention 
to  the  United     f  lg2O  that  framed  Missouri's  first  constitution,  but  he 

States  Senate  . 

claims  to  have  been  instrumental  in  getting  that  body  to 
incorporate  in  the  constitution  a  provision  that  no  slaves 
should  be  emancipated  in  Missouri  without  the  consent 
of  their  owners  or  without  compensation.  As  we  have 


MISSOURI  COUNTIES  IN  1845 

Reproduced  by  permission  of  the  Political  Science  Department 
of  the  University  of  Missouri. 

already  seen  in  another  chapter,  he  was  elected  one  of  the 
first  two  United  States  Senators  from  Missouri  in  1820 
under  circumstances  of  exceedingly  great  interest.  He 
soon  took  high  rank  in  the  Senate,  and  the  influence  he 
exercised  there  reacted  in  his  favor  upon  his  constitu 
ents,  who  felt  flattered  that  a  representative  from  the 
most  frontier  state  of  the  time  should  be  so  potent  a 
factor  in  the  affairs  of  the  nation. 


THE   DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS   HART   BENTON      257 

This  is  not  the  place,  however,  to  follow  his  career  in  the 
Senate  except  as  to  what  he  did  in  that  body  which  con 
tributed  to  his  downfall,  and  as  we  shall  see  in  outlining 
the  course  of  events  that  culminated  in  his  retirement 
from  the  Senate,  there  was  no  occasion  for  his  constituents 
to  criticize  his  acts  or  policy  until  near  the  close  of  his 


MISSOURI  COUNTIES  IN  1851 

Reproduced  by  permission  of  the  Political  Science 
Department  of  the  University  of  Missouri. 

fourth  term.     We  shall  not,  therefore,  undertake  to  deal 
with  his  career  in  the  Senate  prior  to  1844. 

By  1844,  however,  some  very  interesting  and  important  Political  De- 
political  developments  had  taken  place  in  Missouri,  and  ^  Missouri 
since  Benton  had  much  to  do  with  those  developments,   1820-44 
and  since  they  furnish  a  background  for  his  later  career, 
which  we  wish  to  take  up  in  detail,  it  will  be  well  to  deal 
with  them  here. 


258 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


i.  "Era  of 

Good 

Feeling" 


2.  Early 
Elections  in 
Missouri 
Not  on  Party 
Lines 


3.  Missouri 
and  the 
Presidential 
Election  of 
1824 


Missouri  came  into  the  Union  at  a  time  when  there  was 
only  one  party  of  any  importance  in  national  politics  — 
the  Democratic-Republican  party  which  had  been  founded 
by  Jefferson.  The  Federalist  party  had  begun  to  disappear 
when  Monroe  was  first  elected  in  1816,  and  was  completely 
gone  by  1820,  when  he  was  reelected  with  only  one  electoral 
vote  against  him.  This  was  the  "Era  of  Good  Feeling." 

But  matters  could  not  long  remain  that  way.  Within 
the  next  ten  or  twelve  years  the  Democratic  party  was 
reorganized  under  Andrew  Jackson,  and  shortly  after 
that  the  Whig  party  came  into  existence  through  the 
union  of  a  great  many  heterogeneous  parties  and  factions 
as  the  party  of  opposition  to  the  Democrats.  The  rise 
and  development  of  these  two  parties  in  Missouri  need 
our  attention  for  a  few  moments  at  least. 

Until  the  new  Democratic  party  began  to  be  formed, 
Missourians  cared  but  little  for  parties,  and  elections  for 
State  and  local  offices  turned  more  on  men  than  on  parties. 
McNair  was  elected  governor  in  1820,  Bates  in  1824,  and 
Miller  in  1825  *  and  again  in  1828,  not  as  candidates  of 
parties  but  as  popular  individuals.  Likewise  John  Scott 
was  elected  as  Missouri's  Representative  in  Congress  in 
1820,  1822,  and  1824  because  of  his  personal  popularity, 
and  possibly  but  for  the  vote  that  he  cast  for  Adams  for 
President  in  1824,  when  the  election  was  thrown  into  the 
House  of  Representatives,  he  would  have  been  reelected 
at  least  once  more.  Since  this  Presidential  election  was 
productive  of  direct  results  of  considerable  importance  in 
Missouri  politics,  it  is  well  that  a  few  words  should  be  said 
about  it  here. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  there  were  four  candidates 
for  the  Presidency  in  1824 — John  Quincy  Adams,  Jackson, 
Clay,  and  Crawford  —  all  of  them  belonging  to  the  old 
Democratic  party.  It  was  a  "scrub  race  for  the  Presi 
dency,"  all  the  old  Revolutionary  "war  horses"  having 

1  Bates  died  shortly  after  his  inauguration  and  Miller  was  elected 
to  fill  out  his  unexpired  term. 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS  HART  BENTON   259 

either  died  or  retired  from  public  life.  Clay  was  very 
popular  in  Missouri,  having  been  nominated  by  the 
Missouri  legislature  and  having  been  supported  by 
Barton,  Ben  ton,  and  Scott,  and  he  received  more  votes 
in  the  State  than  all  the  other  candidates  together.1 
But  when  the  election  was  thrown  into  the  House  because 
no  one  of  the  candidates  received  a  majority  of  the  electoral 
votes,  it  fell  to  Scott,  Missouri's  sole  Representative,  to 
decide  how  the  vote  of  Missouri  should  be  cast.  Clay's 
name  was  never  presented  to  the  House  because  of  a 
constitutional  provision  that  only  the  three  receiving  the 
highest  electoral  vote  should  be  submitted  to  that  body. 
Clay  favored  Adams  and  did  all  he  could  to  throw  the 
support  he  had  received  in  the  popular  election  to  Adams. 
Barton  was  also  for  Adams,  but  Adams  had  polled  a  very 
small  vote  in  the  State  and  there  was,  therefore,  very  little 
reason  to  ask  that  Missouri  should  vote  for  Adams  except 
that  Clay  had  requested  it.  On  the  other  hand,  Benton 
had  come  out  strongly  for  Jackson,  and  Jackson  contended 
that  since  he  had  received  a  plurality  of  votes  in  the 
popular  election  throughout  the  country,  he  was  entitled 
to  the  election  in  the  House.  Benton  and  Jackson  had 
meanwhile  renewed  their  friendship,  and  Benton  felt  that 
since  Jackson  had  received  more  votes  in  Missouri  than 
Adams,  Scott  should  cast  his  vote  in  the  House  for  Jack 
son.  But  Scott  finally  decided  to  vote  for  Adams,  and  in 
1826  he  paid  the  penalty  for  doing  so  by  being  defeated 
for  reelection.  Likewise  Barton  was  defeated  for  re 
election  to  the  Senate  in  1830. 

By  1830  the  foundations  of  the  Jackson  party  had  been  4-  Forma- 
laid  both  in  Missouri  and  in  the  country  at  large.     In 


1828  Jackson  carried  every  county  in  the  State  and  was  Party  in 
elected  to  the  Presidency  over  Adams  by  an  overwhelm 
ing  majority  throughout  the  country.  Since  Benton  had 
championed  the  cause  of  Jackson  in  the  State  and  had 
taken  the  lead  in  it,  he  became  the  most  influential  and 
1  Clay,  1401  ;  Jackson,  987  ;  Adams,  311  ;  Crawford,  none. 


260  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

powerful  man  in  Missouri  politics.  His  controlling  in 
fluence  is  seen  in  the  part  he  played  in  the  election  of  the 
Representative  to  Congress  in  1828.  Bates  was  a  candi 
date  to  succeed  himself,  having  been  elected  first  in  1826. 
But  by  1828  he  had  become  an  Adams  or  anti- Jackson 
man,  and  was  of  course  no  longer  acceptable  to  Benton 
and  the  Jackson  men  in  Missouri.  In  order  to  defeat 
him,  however,  it  was  necessary  to  eliminate  one  of  the 
two  Jackson  candidates  that  had  come  out  against  him. 
Benton  was  asked  to  decide  between  the  Jackson  can 
didates,  and  he  promptly  decided  that  Lane  should  with 
draw  and  that  Pettis  should  be  the  Jackson  candidate. 
Handbills  announcing  the  decision  that  had  been  made 
were  then  printed  and  sent  to  all  parts  of  the  State. 
The  result  was  that  Pettis  was  elected  over  Bates  by  a 
vote  of  8272  to  3400. 

The  race  for  governor  in  1828  was  unique  in  that  Miller, 
the  Jackson  candidate,  had  no  opponents.  For  some  time 
various  Adams  men  were  suggested  as  likely  candidates  for 
the  governorship,  but  none  of  them  stayed  in  the  race  to 
the  end,  and  Miller  was  finally  elected  without  opposition. 

In  1830  Barton  paid  the  penalty  for  having  supported 
Adams  in  the  contest  for  the  Presidency  in  the  House  in 
1824,  and  was  defeated  for  reelection  to  the  Senate  largely 
because  Benton  turned  against  him.  In  the  ten  years 
that  had  elapsed  since  Barton  had,  by  great  exertion  and 
at  the  risk  of  his  own  popularity,  secured  the  election  of 
Benton  to  the  Senate,  Benton  had  come  to  regard  Barton 
as  a  personal  enemy,  and  finally  secured  his  defeat.  The 
history  of  Missouri  presents  no  parallel  to  this  case.1 

In  the  campaign  of  1832  Jackson  not  only  carried  the 
State  of  Missouri  for  himself  against  Clay,  but  he  carried 

1  Barton  tried  to  recover  his  lost  prestige  by  coming  out  as  the 
anti- Jackson  candidate  for  Congress  in  1832,  but  failed.  He  was 
later  elected  to  the  State  senate  and  died  in  1837.  He  was  a  brilliant 
man  and  played  a  very  important  part  in  the  forming  of  our  first 
constitution.  But  he  was  very  dissipated  and  died  a  raving  maniac. 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS   HART  BENTON      261 

the  whole  Democratic  State  ticket  with  him.  Dunklin 
was  elected  governor  on  that  ticket  by  a  majority  of  noo 
over  all  other  candidates.  By  that  year  Missouri  was 
definitely  committed  to  the  Democratic  party  and  re 
mained  so  until  the  Civil  War  broke  out.  Both  the 
national  and  the  State  Democratic  tickets  were  elected 
in  Missouri  in  every  campaign  during  this  interval  of 
thirty  years. 

Notwithstanding    this    Democratic    preponderance,    a  5.  Forma- 
very   respectable   Whig   party   had   arisen   in   Missouri.   Am?-0?1 
In  it  were  to  be  found  many  of  the  merchants  of  the  State,   in  Missouri 
especially  those  of  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  and  also  many 
of  the  leading  people  in  the  counties  along  the  upper 
Mississippi    and    in    the    Boone's    Lick    country.     "For 
years  Boone  County  was  the  banner  Whig  county  of  the 
State." 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  the  Democrats  began  Split  in  the 
to  suffer  division,  as  every  party  does  that  greatly  out-  p*™° £atlc 
numbers   its   opponents   for   any   length   of   time.     The  Missouri 
different    factions    among    the    Democrats    in    Missouri 
came  to  be  known  as  the  "Hards "  and  the  "Softs,"  or  the 
Bentonites  and  the  anti-Bentonites.     In  order  to  under 
stand  this  schism,  a  few  words  of  special  explanation  are 
necessary. 

Banking  and  the  currency  issue  were  responsible  for   i.  "Hards" 
the  origin  of  the  factions  known  as  the  "  Hards  "  and  the  and"Softs" 
"  Softs."     In  a  preceding  chapter  the  history  of  these 
subjects  has  been  developed  as  far  as  the  financial  phases 
were  concerned,  so  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  review 
them  here.     But  the  political  phase  needs  now  to  be  set 
forth. 

It  will  be  recalled  that  after  the  Second  United  States 
Bank  went  out  of  existence  in  1836,  Missouri  chartered 
the  Bank  of  the  State  of  Missouri  and  authorized  it  to  issue 
bank  notes.  Banks  of  a  similar  nature  were  chartered  in 
other  states,  so  that  by  the  close  of  the  thirties  bank  notes 
from  a  host  of  state  banks  were  in  circulation  throughout 


262 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


(a)  Benton, 
a  "Hard" 
Money  Man 


(b)  Opposi 
tion  of  the 
"Softs  "to 
Benton 


the  country.  These  notes  were  presumably  redeemable 
in  specie  on  demand,  but  there  was  always  more  or  less 
uncertainty  as  to  whether  the  banks  would  always  be  able 
to  respond  to  the  demands  that  might  be  made  upon  them. 
A  crisis  was  reached  in  banking  in  Missouri  in  1839  when, 
because  so  many  banks  in  other  states  were  suspending 
specie  payments,  the  Bank  of  the  State  of  Missouri  re 
fused  to  accept  or  pay  out  the  notes  of  those  banks  that 
had  suspended  specie  payment.  Men  found  themselves 
in  the  possession  of  the  notes  of  these  banks  and  naturally 
wanted  them  to  remain  negotiable.  Those  who  favored 
the  continued  use  of  paper  currency,  especially  that  of  the 
banks  outside  of  Missouri,  were  called  "Softs,"  while 
those  who  were  opposed  to  it  and  who  advocated  the  use 
of  gold  and  silver  as  the  only  media  of  exchange  were 
called  "Hards." 

Benton  was  an  uncompromising  "  hard  "  money  man,  and 
was  dubbed  ' '  Old  Bullion ' '  because  of  his  attitude  on  the 
currency  question.  He  exerted  all  his  powers  to  induce 
the  legislature  of  Missouri  to  pass  laws  which  would 
banish  from  the  State  the  "wildcat"  and  the  "dog"  paper 
currency  of  banks  outside  of  Missouri.  He  was  especially 
opposed  to  the  circulation  of  all  kinds  of  bank  notes  under 
$20  for  the  reason  that,  when  they  depreciated  in  value, 
the  people  of  small  means  would  sustain  a  loss  heavier  in 
proportion  than  would  the  wealthy  people.  The  large 
notes,  he  said,  never  circulated  to  any  great  extent,  and 
when  they  depreciated  in  value  the  loss  would  fall  not 
upon  the  poorer  people,  as  a  rule,  but  upon  the  wealthy  in 
whose  possession  they  were  most  likely  to  be  found. 

But  the  "  Softs  "  were  able  to  muster  enough  strength 
to  prevent  the  proposals  of  laws  that  Benton  sent  to  the 
Missouri  legislature  from  being  adopted  in  full.  The 
"  Softs  "  were  not  only  able  to  do  that,  but  they  suc 
ceeded  in  1841  in  getting  the  Bank  of  the  State  of  Mis 
souri  to  rescind  its  action  of  1839  against  receiving  the 
currency  of  banks  suspending  specie  payment.  The 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS  HART  BENTON      263 

result   of  this   situation  was   to  drive  the  "Softs"  into 
open  opposition  to  Benton. 

Meanwhile  other  issues  had  arisen  in  the  State  which   2.  Other 
forced  themselves  upon  Benton,  and  since  he  espoused  the  Issues 
unpopular  side  in  each  of  them,  they  tended  to  increase 
the  opposition  that  was  rising  against  him.     These  issues 
were  over  the  limitation  of  the  terms  of  the  judges,  the 
reapportionment  of  representation  in  the  lower  house  of 
the  legislature,  and  the  adoption  of  the  district  system  in 
the  election  of  Congressmen.     The  constitution  of  Mis 
souri  provided  that  the  judges  should  be  appointed  by  the  («)  Tenure 
governor  for  life,  but  sentiment  was  developing  rapidly  °       ges 
against  this  sort  of  arrangement  and   the   demand  was 
being  made  that  judges  should  be  elected  for  definite  terms. 

The  constitution  of  Missouri  also  provided  that  each  (ft)  Repre- 
county  should  have  at  least  one  representative  in  the 
general  assembly,  but  that  the  whole  number  of  repre-  lature 
sentatives  should  not  exceed  100.  When  the  constitution 
was  made  in  1820,  there  were  43  members  in  the  lower 
house  distributed  among  15  counties.  By  1836  the 
number  of  counties  had  been  increased  to  60  and  the 
number  of  representatives  to  98.  In  1841  these  counties 
had  been  increased  to  7  7  and  the  number  of  representatives 
to  100,  the  constitutional  limit.  When  in  1841-42  the 
legislature  created  19  new  counties,  it  was  found  neces 
sary,  in  order  to  observe  the  constitutional  requirement 
that  each  county  should  have  at  least  one  representative, 
to  reduce  all  but  two  counties  to  just  one  representative 
each.  The  two  exceptions  were  Platte,  which  was  given 
two  representatives,  and  St.  Louis,  which  was  given  four. 
This  brought  on  a  situation  of  great  and  growing  in 
equality.  Caldwell  County,  for  example,  with  a  total 
population  of  1583,  had  one  representative,  while  Boone 
County,  with  a  total  population  of  14,290,  also  had  only  one 
representative,  and  St.  Louis  County,  with  a  population  of 
47,668,  had  only  four  representatives  or  approximately 
one  for  every  12,000  persons.  Since  the  older  and  more 


264 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


(c)  District 
System  for 
Congres 
sional 
Elections 


populous  counties  were  Whig  and  the  new  and  less  densely 
settled  counties  were  Democratic,  it  was  inevitable  that  the 
two  parties  should  come  to  a  clash  over  this  question.  As 
early  as  1832  the  Whig  members  of  the  legislature  began 
to  fight  the  creation  of  new  counties,  but  the  Democrats 
were  able  to  overcome  the  opposition  of  the  Whigs,  and  the 
creation  of  new  counties  went  on.  However,  a  demand 
arose  for  a  constitutional  convention  which  would  deal 
with  the  matter  of  representation  in  the  legislature,  and 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  a  constitutional  convention  was  held 
in  1845  and  a  new  constitution  that  provided  for  legisla 
tive  districts  was  drafted.  But  the  constitution  failed  to 
be  ratified  by  the  people,  and  the  matter  of  representa 
tion  remained  unchanged  for  the  time. 

From  1820  to  1842  Missouri  had  been  electing  her  Rep 
resentatives  in  Congress  by  general  ticket.  In  that  way 
every  voter  voted  for  as  many  Representatives  as  the  State 
had  in  Congress.  But  Congress  passed  an  Act  in  1842 
providing  that  in  each  state  the  legislature  should  divide 
the  state  into  districts  for  the  purpose  of  electing  Congress 
men.  It  was  very  clear  that  when  the  new  method  of 
electing  Congressmen  went  into  effect  the  central  counties 
would  lose  the  control  they  had  had  in  determining  who 
should  be  sent  to  Congress  from  Missouri.  They  had 
been  able,  through  their  large  population  and  through 
the  success  of  their  political  leaders  in  playing  the  game 
of  politics,  to  name  most  of  the  Congressmen  from  the 
State.  The  central  counties  were  therefore  opposed  to 
the  district  system,  while  the  frontier  counties  favored  it. 

As  has  been  said,  Benton  took  the  unpopular  side  on  all 
three  of  these  issues.  But  he  was  moved  to  do  this  because 
of  his  primary  interest  in  the  currency  issue.  He  opposed 
a  constitutional  convention  which  would  bring  in  these 
changes  that  were  being  demanded,  for  fear  that  it  would 
overturn  the  salutary  safeguards  in  the  constitution  of 
1820  with  regard  to  banking.  He  was  not  opposed  on 
principle  to  districting  the  State  for  the  election  of  Con- 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS  HART  BENTON      265 

gressmen,  but  since  that  method  of  procedure  would 
jeopardize  the  interest  of  some  of  his  strongest  political 
associates,  he  was,  to  say  the  least,  not  in  favor  of  the 
scheme  of  districting  the  State. 

By  1844  the  question  of  the  "Hards"  and  the  " Softs"  Campaign 
had  grown  into  that  of  "Benton  or  no-Benton,"  and  the  of  l844 
real  significance  of  the  situation  is  seen  in  the  State  elec 
tion  held  in  that  year.     The  Democratic  State  convention,   i.  Demo- 
which  was  held  in  Jefferson  City  in  April,  1844,  was  cap-  Convention 
tured  by  the  "  Hards,"  who  proceeded  to  table  all  resolu-  Captured  by 
tions  pertaining  to  State  issues,  such  as  Congressional  dis-  the  "Hards" 
tricts,  constitutional  conventions,  currency,  and  the  like, 
and  then  forbade  the  secretary  to  publish  the  record  of  the 
votes  by  which  the  resolutions  on  these  measures  had  been 
tabled.     In  fact  the  only  issues  that  were  dealt  with  in 
these  resolutions  were  national  in  character.     Although 
the  "Hards"  were   in  control   of   the   convention,  they 
decided  that  it  would  be  inadvisable  to  force  the  nomina 
tion  of  their  candidate  for  governor,  M.  M.  Marmaduke 
of  Saline  County,  and  they  therefore  nominated  John  C. 
Edwards  of  Cole,  who  was  a  supporter  of  Benton  but  who 
was  in  agreement  with  the  "Softs"  in  all  State  issues. 

The  "Softs"  were  naturally  much  dissatisfied  with  the  2.  Ticket 
way  in  which  the  convention  had  proceeded,  and  they 
set  to  work  to  arrange  a  ticket  of  their  own  that  went 
by  the  name  of  Liberal  Democratic.  Judge  C.  H.  Allen 
was  put  at  the  head  of  that  ticket  as  their  candidate  for 
governor.  Under  these  circumstances  the  Whigs  decided 
that  it  would  not  be  to  their  advantage  to  put  out  a  State 
or  a  Congressional  ticket,  but  to  do  all  they  could  to  carry 
the  State  legislature  and  thus  defeat  Benton  for  reelection 
to  the  Senate.  As  far  as  they  voted  for  State  and  Con 
gressional  candidates,  they  voted  for  the  "Softs." 

Before  the  campaign  of  1844  closed  another  question  of  3.  Texas 
very   great   importance   was   injected   into   the   contest  Question 
between  the  contending   parties,  —  the  Texas   question 
and   Benton 's  attitude  to  it.     During    1844   the  Tyler 


266  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

administration  had  negotiated  a  treaty  with  the  Republic 

of  Texas  which  provided  for  its  annexation  to  the  United 

States.     The  annexation  of  Texas  was  very  popular  in  Mis- 

(a)  Opposi-     souri,  but  to  the  surprise  of  everyone  Benton  came  out 

Benton  to        vigorously  against  the  ratification  of  the  treaty,1  and  it  was 

the  Annexa-     due  no  doubt  to  his  opposition  that  the  treaty  failed  to  be 

tion  of  Texas  ratified  by  the  Senate. 

The  question  was  immediately  raised  as  to  why  Benton 
took  this  attitude.  He  answered  it  by  saying  that  he  was 
not  opposed  to  the  annexation  of  Texas  provided  it  could 
be  done  without  bringing  on  a  war  with  Mexico.  But  he 
claimed  that  the  treaty  before  the  Senate  was  such  as 
to  make  a  war  with  Mexico  inevitable,2  and  though  he 
was  not  personally  averse  to  war  if  it  was  necessary  or 
just,  he  did  not  want  to  disturb  the  friendly  relations  with 
Mexico,  inasmuch  as  to  do  so  would  prove  disastrous  to  the 
trade  between  that  country  and  the  United  States.  That 
he  desired  to  preserve  this  trade  unimpaired  is  due,  it  has 
been  said,  to  his  interest  in  the  success  of  his  currency 
policy.  He  declared  during  the  campaign  of  1844  that 
"the  currency  question  is  the  greatest  question  of  the  age ; 
it  absorbs  and  swallows  up  every  other."  He  was,  as 
we  have  seen,  very  much  opposed  to  the  circulation  of  the 
paper  currency  of  state  banks,  especially  the  notes  of  small 
denomination.  But  he  knew  that  if  the  small  notes  were 
not  in  circulation,  gold  and  silver  must  be  obtained  to  take 
their  place,  and  he  felt  that  much  of  this  needed  metallic 
currency  might  be  secured  through  importation  from 
Mexico  if  the  trade  relations  with  that  country  were 
properly  encouraged.  He  pointed  out  that  our  trade  with 
Mexico  had  really  begun  only  in  1821,  the  year  in  which 

1  The  surprise  was  all  the  greater  because  Benton  had  been  bitter 
in  his  opposition  to  the  Treaty  of  1819  with  Spain  whereby  we  ac 
quired  Florida  and  at  the  same  time  yielded  up  all  claims  we  had 
to  Texas  through  the  purchase  of  Louisiana. 

2  Immediately  after  the  defeat  of  the  Tyler  treaty  in  the  Senate, 
Benton  introduced  a  bill  providing  for  the  annexation  of  Texas  by 
a  method  which  he  claimed  would  avoid  war  with  Mexico. 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS  HART  BENTON      267 


she  had  secured  her  independence  from  Spain,  and  that  the 
receipts  from  that  country  had  grown  enormously.     In 
1821  they  amounted  to  only  $80,000  in  specie,  while  in 
1835,  the  year  before  the  Texan  revolution,  they  had  risen 
to  more  than  $8,000,000.     Owing,  however,  to  our  sym 
pathy  with  the  Texans,  our  trade  with  Mexico  fell  off 
rapidly  after  1835,  so  that  the  receipts  of  1842  were  only 
about  $1,340,000.     In  view  of  these  facts,  Benton  urged 
that  everything  should  be 
done  to  maintain  cordial 
relations  with  Mexico  and 
to    increase    our    trade 
with  her  in  order  that  the 
stream   of   specie  might 
continue  flowing  in  our  di 
rection  in  ever-increasing 
volume.      That    Mexico 
would  have  the  specie  to 
pay  for  our  commodities 
was  assured  because  she 
had  the  silver  mines. 

Benton  had,  however, 
other  reasons  for  oppos 
ing  the  treaty  of  annexa 
tion  that  had  been  sub 
mitted  to  the  Senate. 
He  insisted  that  it  was  a 
"  scheme  on  the  part  of  some  of  its  movers  to  dissolve 
the  Union,  on  the  part  of  some  others,  an  intrigue  for  the 
Presidency,  on  the  part  of  others,  a  land  speculation,  and 
a  job  in  scrip." 

But  these  were  not  winning  arguments  "in  Missouri,  (6)  Activity 
and  many  of  Benton's  enemies  seized  the  opportunity  to 
criticize  him  very  severely  for  his  hostility  to  the  annexa 
tion  treaty.  Indeed,  many  of  his  friends  and  supporters 
had  to  confess  they  were  disappointed  in  his  position. 
But  Benton  was  very  firm,  and  in  the  speeches  which  he 


THOMAS  HART  BENTON 

The  most  familiar  portrait  of  Benton, 
showing  him  in  his  prime. 


268 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


4.  Victory  of 
"Hards" 
and  Re 
election  of 
Benton  to 
the  Senate 


made  in  Missouri  during  the  campaign  of  1844  he  set  forth 
clearly  and  rather  defiantly  his  views  on  Texas. 

Notwithstanding  the  combination  of  "  Softs  "  and  Whigs 
in  1844  on  the  State  ticket,  the  "  Hards  "  carried  the  elec 
tion  completely,  Edward's  majority  being  more  than  5000. l 
But  there  was  considerable  uncertainty,  however,  as  to 
whether  or  not  Benton  would  be  re  elected  to  the  Senate. 

The  Whigs  held  53  seats  in 
the  general  assembly  and  the 
Democrats  80.  As  only  67 
votes  were  required  to  elect 
a  Senator,  the  Democrats 
had  a  clear  majority  of  13. 
But  no  one  knew  how  many 
of  the  Democrats  were  op 
posed  to  Benton,  and  in  that 
state  of  uncertainty,  Ben- 
ton's  enemies  redoubled  their 
efforts  to  encompass  his 
defeat.  However,  Benton 
was  re  elected  in  January, 
1845,  with  a  margin  of  8 
votes.  The  significance  of 
this  close  vote  is  seen  the 
more  clearly  from  the  fact 
that  at  the  same  time 
Atchison  was  elected  to  fill 
the  unexpired  term  of  Senator  Linn,  who  had  died  a  short 
time  before,  by  a  margin  of  34  votes.  That  Benton  was 
reflected  at  all  was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  " Hards" 
had  control  of  practically  all  the  newly  elected  members, 
while  the  opponents  of  the  "Hards"  lacked  organization 
and  could  not  concentrate  all  of  their  strength  on  one 
man. 

Although  Benton  seemed  secure  in  his  position,  a  bigger 
storm  was  brewing,  and  it  gathered  greater  force  as  it 
1  Edwards,  36,978  ;   Allen,  31,357. 


LEWIS  F.  LINN 

United  States  Senator  from  Mis 
souri,  1834-43.  To  him  was  largely 
due  the  acquisition  of  the  Platte 
purchase  in  1837,  out  of  which  were 
organized  the  six  counties  in  the 
northwestern  corner  of  the  present 
State  of  Missouri.  From  Houck's 
History  oj  Missouri. 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS  HART  BENTON      269 

developed,  overcoming  him  when  he  came  up  for  reelection  Benton's 
again  in   1851.     The  issue  that  proved  his  undoing  in  ^^erm 
that  year  was  not  the  currency  issue  which  had  been  so  Senate 
prominent  in  1844,  but  that  of  slavery  as  it  arose  in  con 
nection  with  the  territorial  possessions  acquired  through 
the  war  with  Mexico. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  Bent  on  was  opposed  to  i.  Mexican 
the  United  States  declaring  war  against  Mexico,  he  voted  War 
for  it  when  the  matter  was  put  squarely  before  Congress 
by  President  Polk,  and  after  war  was  declared,  he  favored 
pushing  it  through  quickly  to  a  successful  end.  He  was 
frequently  called  in  by  President  Polk  for  consultation  on 
various  matters  connected  with  the  war ;  and  he  even 
went  so  far.  as  to  suggest  that  Congress  should  create  the 
office  of  lieutenant  general  of  the  army,  to  whom  would 
be  given  the  supreme  command  of  the  war,  and  that  the 
President  should  appoint  him  to  that  office.  Polk  agreed 
to  the  suggestion,  but  Congress  failed  to  pass  the  bill. 
However,  the  President  appointed  Benton  as  a  major 
general,  but  when  Benton  found  that  he  could  not  have 
supreme  command,  he  resigned  the  military  commission 
that  had  been  conferred  upon  him. 

By  the  Treaty  of  Guadalupe  of  1848,*  Mexico  agreed  2.  Wilmot 
to  the  Rio  Grande  as  the  boundary  between  her  and  the  Proviso 
United  States,  and  ceded  New  Mexico  and  Upper  Cali 
fornia  to  the  United  States  upon  payment  of  $15,000,000 
by  the  United  States  to  Mexico,  and  upon  certain  other 
financial  considerations.  The  question  that  was  thus 
thrust  upon  the  United  States  in  this  treaty  was  how  to 
deal  with  slavery  in  the  territories  acquired  from  Mexico. 
In  fact  that  question  had  loomed  up  long  before  the  treaty 
was  made.  As  early  as  1846  it  had  been  raised  when  the 
famous  Wilmot  Proviso  was  offered  as  an  amendment 
to  the  bill  that  had  been  introduced  into  Congress  to 

1  Benton  was  one  of  the  fourteen  Senators  who  opposed  the  rati 
fication  of  the  treaty.  Meanwhile  he  and  President  Polk  had 
become  estranged  and  were  never  afterward  reconciled. 


270 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.  Omnibus 
Bill  and 
Compromise 
of  1850 


appropriate  $2,000,000  with  which  the  President  might 
negotiate  peace  with  Mexico.  This  Proviso  forbade 
slavery  in  any  of  the  regions  that  were  to  be  ceded  by 
Mexico,  and  was  intended  to  commit  the  country  in 
advance  to  a  definite  policy  regarding  slavery  in  the 
territories  that  might  be  acquired  through  the  war  that 
was  then  going  on.  The  Proviso  failed  to  carry,  although 
it  was  introduced  in  two  different  sessions  of  Congress. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  treaty  of  peace  with 
Mexico  was  ratified  in  March,  1848,  it  was  not  until  more 
than  two  years  had  passed  that  Congress  could  agree 
on  the  kind  of  government  that  should  be  established  in 
the  newly  acquired  territories  in  place  of  the  very  tem 
porary  control  that  had  been  set  up  in  them  under  Presi 
dential  direction.  This  is  not  the  place  to  bring  under 
review  the  struggle  that  went  on  in  that  body  over  this 
question.  It  is  sufficient  to  note  that  six  separate  bills 
were  finally  passed  which  provided  for  :  (i)  the  admission 
of  California  as  a  free  state  into  the  Union,  with  the 
commonwealth  organization  that  had  been  formed  by  her 
people  during  the  year  1849  ;  (2)  the  territorial  organiza 
tion  of  Utah  without  any  slavery  restriction  but  with  the 
provision  that  the  territorial  legislature  should  not  place 
any  restrictions  upon  slavery  during  the  territorial  period  ; 
(3)  the  territorial  organization  of  New  Mexico  under  the 
same  terms  ;  (4)  fixing  the  boundaries  of  Texas  and  paying 
her  an  indemnity  for  the  territory  which  she  would  thus 
relinquish  ;  (5)  a  more  stringent  procedure  in  the  recovery 
of  fugitive  slaves ;  (6)  the  abolition  of  the  slave  trade  in 
the  District  of  Columbia. 

It  had  been  the  plan  of  Clay  to  push  these  measures 
through  Congress  not  as  six  different  bills  but  as  three 
bills ;  the  first  was  to  contain  the  first  four  bills  as  enu 
merated  above,  the  second  and  the  third  were  to  be  the 
bills  numbered  (5)  and  (6)  above.  Because  of  the  numer 
ous  things  provided  for  in  the  first  of  these  three  bills 
that  Clay  was  championing,  it  was  dubbed  the  "Omnibus 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS  HART  BENTON      271 

Bill."  Benton  was  very  much  opposed  to  the  "Omnibus 
Bill "  as  he  considered  that  it  was  a  surrender  to  the  radical 
Southern  men,  and  he  contended  that  California  had  a 
right  to  be  considered  alone  and  should  not  be  tied  up  with 
the  other  measures.  Probably  his  opposition  did  more 
than  anything  else  to  defeat  the  scheme  to  push  all  of  these 
measures  through  as  one  and  to  compel  Congress  to  con 
sider  them  separately. 

When  these  measures  came  up  separately  we  find  that 
Benton  voted  for  the  admission  of  California,  the  organ 
ization  of  the  territorial  governments  for  New  Mexico  and 
Utah,  and  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade  in  the 
District  of  Columbia.  But  he  voted  against  giving  Texas 
an  indemnity  for  the  territory  she  relinquished,  and  he 
did  not  speak  or  vote  at  all  on  the  Fugitive  Slave  Bill. 
He  was  especially  belligerent  all  during  this  session  of 
Congress  and  frequently  had  to  be  called  to  order  during 
the  debate.1 

But  before  the  famous  Compromise  of  1850  had  been   Jackson 
agreed  upon  in  Congress,  there  burst  in  Missouri  a  polit-  ^^e^i*118 
ical  storm  which  swept  Benton  out  of  the  Senate  at  the  souriLegis- 
close  of  his  fifth  term  in  1851.     This  storm  was  precipi-  lature 
tated  by  the  so-called  ' '  Jackson  Resolutions ' '  which  were 
passed    by  the   Missouri    legislature   in   January,    1849. 
Agitation  and  discussion  over  the  slavery  question  that 
arose  out  of  the  acquisition  of  territory  at  the  close  of  the 
Mexican  War  were  not  confined  to  the  halls  of  Congress. 
People  were  discussing  that  question  everywhere,  very   i.  wide- 
much  as  they  had  done  when  it  had  been  thrust  into  the  spread   _ 

Interest  in 

foreground  in  1819  by  Missouri  asking  for  admission  into  the  Question 
the  Union.     Then  as  now  the  North  and  the  South  were  of  slavery 
opposed  to  one  another  on  the  slavery  question,  but  the 
situation  differed  in  at  least  two  respects :  First,  whereas 
before  1820  slavery  existed  legally  in  the  territory  which 

1  During  this  debate  Foote  drew  a  pistol  on  Benton  on  the  floor 
of  the  Senate.  This  is  the  only  instance  in  the  history  of  that  body 
when  such  a  thing  ever  happened. 


272  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

the  United  States  had  acquired  from  France  in  1803,  it 
did  not  legally  exist  in  the  territories  that  had  been  ac 
quired  in  1848  from  Mexico  ;  second,  whereas  by  the  Com 
promise  of  1820  slavery  was,  in  deference  to  the  demands 
of  the  North,  excluded  from  a  part  of  the  Louisiana  Pur 
chase  where  it  had  legally  existed,  the  South  was  demand 
ing  in  1848  that  the  restrictions  upon  slavery  should  be 
removed  in  the  case  of  part  or  all  of  the  territories  that  had 
recently  been  acquired  from  Mexico,  so  that  it  could  be 
made  possible  to  establish  that  institution  within  their 
borders.  Of  course  the  North  sought  to  prevent  making 
free  territory  slave,  while  the  South  endeavored  to  make 
it  possible  to  convert  any  territory  into  slave  territory  by 
leaving  the  question  as  to  whether  slavery  should  exist 
in  it  to  the  people  living  therein.  The  Democrats  of 
Missouri  were  largely  in  sympathy  with  the  Southern  view, 
and  to  insure  that  the  Senators  and  Representatives  from 
Missouri  would  vote  "  right  "  on  the  measures  that  were 
bound  to  come  up  in  Congress  regarding  this  newly  ac 
quired  territory,  the  famous  "  Jackson  Resolutions  "  were 
passed  by  the  legislature. 

2.  Text  of  So  important  were  these  resolutions  in  the  struggle  of 

the  Resolu-      Benton  to  retain  his  hold  upon  his  seat  in  the  Senate,  that 

tions  .  . 

they  are  given  here  in  full. 

RESOLVED  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Missouri : 

(1)  That  the  Federal  Constitution  was  the  result  of  a  compro 
mise  between  the  conflicting  interests  of  the  States  which  formed 
it,  and  in  no  part  of  that  instrument  is  to  be  found  any  delegation 
of  power  to  Congress  to  legislate  upon  the  subject  of  slavery,  except 
some  special  provisions,  having  in  view  the  prospective  abolition 
of  the  African  slave  trade,  made  for  the  recovery  of  fugitive  slaves ; 
any  attempt,  therefore,  on  the  part  of  Congress  to  legislate  on  this 
subject  so  as  to  affect  the  institution  of  slavery  in  the  States,  in  the 
District  of  Columbia,  or  in  the  Territories  is,  to  say  the  least,  a 
violation  of  the  principle  upon  which  that  instrument  was  founded. 

(2)  That  the  Territories,  acquired  by  the  blood  and  treasure  of 
the  whole  nation,  ought  to  be  governed  for  the  common  benefit  of 
the  people -of  all  the  States,  and  any  organization  of  the  territorial 
governments,  excluding  the  citizens  of  any  part  of  the  Union  from 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS  HART  BENTON      273 

removing  to  such  territories  with  their  property,  would  be  an  exercise 
of  power  by  Congress  inconsistent  with  the  spirit  upon  which  our 
federal  compact  was  based,  insulting  to  the  sovereignty  and  dignity 
of  the  States  thus  affected,  calculated  to  alienate  one  portion  of  the 
Union  from  another,  and  tending  ultimately  to  disunion. 

(3)  That  this  General  Assembly  regard  the  conduct  of  the  North 
ern  States  on  the  subject  of  slavery  as  releasing  the  slave-holding 
States  from  all  further  adherence  to  the  basis  of  compromise  fixed 
on  by  the  Act  of  Congress  of  March  6,  1820,  even  if  such  Act  ever 
did  impose  any  obligation  upon  the  slave-holding  States,  and  author 
izes  them  to  insist  upon  their  rights  under  the  Constitution ;    but 
for  the  sake  of  harmony  and  for  the  preservation  of  our  Federal 
Union,  they  will  still  sanction  the  application  of  the  principles  of  the 
Missouri  Compromise  to  the  recent  territorial  acquisitions,  if  by  such 
concession  future  aggressions  upon  the  equal  rights  of  the  States  may 
be  arrested,  and  the  spirit  of  anti-slavery  fanaticism  be  extinguished. 

(4)  The  right  to  prohibit  slavery  in  any  Territory  belongs  ex 
clusively  to  the  people  thereof,  and  can  only  be  exercised  by  them 
in  forming  their  constitution  for  a  State  government,  or  in  their 
sovereign  capacity  as  an  independent  State. 

(5)  That  in  the  event  of  the  passage  of  any  Act  of  Congress  con 
flicting  with  the  principles  herein  expressed,  Missouri  will  be  found 
in  hearty  cooperation  with  the  slave-holding  States,  in  such  measures 
as  may  be  deemed  necessary  for  our  mutual  protection  against  the 
encroachments  of  Northern  fanaticism. 

(6)  That  our  Senators  in  Congress  be  instructed  and  our  Repre 
sentatives  be  requested  to  act  in  conformity  with  the  foregoing 
resolutions.1 

The  gist  of  these  resolutions  is  contained  in  the  fourth 
one.  Here  the  Missouri  legislature  states  plainly  that 
Congress  has  no  right  to  determine  whether  slavery  should 
exist  in  any  Territory  or  not,  and  that  the  people  of  that 
Territory  alone  have  the  right  to  settle  the  matter.  This 
is  the  doctrine  of  "squatter  sovereignty." 

1  These  resolutions  were  introduced  into  the  senate  by  Carty 
Wells  and  were  referred  to  the  senate  committee  on  federal  rela 
tions,  of  which  Claiborne  Jackson  was  chairman.  Inasmuch  as 
Jackson  reported  them  back  to  the  senate  from  his  committee,  they 
were  at  once  known  as  the  "  Jackson  Resolutions."  The  real  author 
of  these  resolutions  was  Judge  Napton  of  the  supreme  court  of 
Missouri,  and  for  that  reason  they  are  sometimes  called  the  "Jack 
son- Napton  Resolutions." 


274 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.  Passage 
of  the 
Resolutions 


Benton's 
Reply  to  the 
Resolutions 


i.  His 

"Appeal" 


These  resolutions  were  introduced  into  the  Missouri 
senate  on  January  i,  1849,  and  after  a  very  stormy  debate 
were  passed  by  both  houses  on  March  6  by  very  large 
majorities,  the  only  opposition  coming  from  the  Whigs 
and  a  few  Democrats.1  Benton  seems  to  have  known 
about  these  resolutions  from  the  time  they  were  first 
introduced,  and  he  claimed  he  could  have  prevented  their 
adoption  if  he  had  only  given  out  the  word  to  his  sup 
porters  in  the  legislature.  But  he  chose  not  to  interfere 
and  allowed  those  who  were  opposing  him  to  proceed 
without  any  protest  on  his  part.2 

But  Benton's  opponents  were  not  allowed  to  remain 
unanswered.  On  May  9  he  was  in  St.  Louis  and  issued 
his  famous  " Appeal"  in  the  form  of  an  open  letter  ad 
dressed  to  "The  People  of  Missouri."  In  this  letter  he 
speaks  of  the  resolutions  and  the  instructions  to  obey 
them,  and  then  goes  on  to  say  :  "From  this  command  I 
appeal  to  the  people  of  Missouri  —  the  whole  body  of  the 
people  —  and  if  they  confirm  the  instructions,  I  shall  give 
them  an  opportunity  to  find  a  Senator  to  carry  their  wishes 
into  effect,  as  I  cannot  do  anything  to  dissolve  the  Union 
or  to  array  one  half  of  it  against  the  other."  He  closed 
by  saying  that  in  due  time  he  would  give  his  reasons  for 
this  "  Appeal  "  and  by  asserting  that  he  would  abide  by 
the  decision  of  the  whole  people  and  by  nothing  less. 

1  The  vote  in  the  senate  on  the  six  different  resolutions  was  as 
follows:    (1)24  to  6;    (2)  25  to  5  ;    (3)  23  to  7  ;    (4)23106;     (5)23 
to  6;    (6)  23  to  6.     The  vote  in  the  house  was  as  follows:     (i)  59 
to  25;    (2)  63  to  21  ;    (3)  57  to  27;   (4)  64  to  20;   (5)  53  to  29  ;    (6)52 
to  27.     The  final  vote  in  the  house  on  the  resolutions  as  a  whole  was 
53  to  27. 

2  In   1847  the  Missouri  legislature   passed   a   set   of   resolutions 
instructing  the  Senators  of  Missouri  and  requesting  the  Represen 
tatives  to  support  the  principle  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  when 
it  came  to  providing  for  the  organization  of  territories  that  might 
be  obtained  from  Mexico.     These  resolutions  were  exactly  opposite 
in  principle  to  the  "Jackson  Resolutions"  two  years  later.     The 
Missouri  legislature  thus  reversed  itself  in  passing  the  "Jackson 
Resolutions."   ' 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS  HART  BENTON   275 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1849  Benton  made  a  2.  His  Can- 
thorough  canvass  of  the  State,  beginning  at  Jefferson 
City  on  May  26.  In  the  addresses  that  he  gave,  he  set 
forth  at  length  his  reasons  for  declining  to  follow  the 
instructions  that  had  been  laid  down  in  the  "  Jackson 
Resolutions. ' '  The  main  reason  was  that  these  resolutions 
were  "a  mere  copy  of  the  Calhoun  Resolutions"  offered 
in  the  Senate  on  February  19,  1849,  which  Benton  had  then 
denounced  with  all  his  might  "as  a  firebrand  intended  for 
electioneering  and  disunion  purposes . ' '  Ever  since  B enton 
had  opposed  Calhoun 's  nullification  schemes  in  the 
thirties,  the  two  men  had  been  enemies,  and  Benton 
claimed  to  see  the  hand  of  Calhoun  in  all  the  efforts  that 
were  made  against  him  in  the  forties  in  Missouri.  He 
was  therefore  convinced  that  Calhoun  was  the  real  author 
and  instigator  of  the  "Jackson  Resolutions,"  and  that 
their  purpose  was  not  only  "to  deny  the  right  of  Congress 
to  prevent  or  prohibit  slavery  in  the  territories  and  to 
denounce  a  dissolution  of  the  Union  if  it  did,"  but  also  to 
get  rid  of  him  in  public  life. 

Benton  not  only  belabored  Calhoun  as  the  instigator  of 
these  resolutions,  but  he  showed  in  his  addresses  how  the 
circumstances  connected  with  their  passage  seriously 
impaired  their  force  as  instructions.  "The  resolutions," 
he  said,  "were  introduced  at  the  very  beginning  of  the 
session  ;  they  lay  torpid  until  its  end.  The  plotters  were 
waiting  the  signal  from  their  leading  friend  —  waiting  for 
the  Calhoun  address.  The  moment  they  got  it  they 
acted,  although  it  was  too  late  for  the  resolutions  to  have 
the  effect  of  instructions.  They  were  passed  after  Con 
gress  had  adjourned,  and  after  it  must  have  been  believed 
that  the  subject  to  which  they  related  had  been  disposed 
of ;  for  it  was  notorious  that  the  territorial  government 
bills  were  in  process  of  enactment,  and  in  fact  only  failed 
after  midnight  on  the  last  night  of  the  session  and  that  on 
disagreement  of  the  two  houses ;  and  their  failure,  on  the 
third  of  March,  was  not  known  at  Jefferson  City  on  the 


276  HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 

seventh,  the  day  of  passing  the  resolutions.  It  was  too 
late  to  pass  the  resolutions  for  the  purpose  of  instructing 
me  how  to  vote  at  Washington.  It  was  too  late  for  that ; 
but  was  early  enough  for  the  summer  campaign  at  home, 
and  therefore  they  were  passed." 

After  hurling  anathemas  at  the  plotters  against  him,  he 
closed  his  addresses  by  saying : 

"In  the  execution  of  this  design  I  cannot  be  an  instru 
ment,  nor  can  I  believe  that  the  people  or  the  mass  of 
the  general  assembly  are  with  it ;  and  I  deem  it  right  to 
have  a  full  understanding  with  my  constituents  on  the 
whole  matter. 

"  I  therefore  appeal  from  the  instructions  I  have  received 
because  they  are  in  conflict  with  instructions  already 
received  and  obeyed  —  because  they  did  not  emanate 
from  any  known  desire  or  understood  will  of  the  people  — 
because  they  contain  unconstitutional  expositions  of  the 
Constitution  which  I  am  sworn  to  support  —  because  they 
require  me  to  promote  disunion  —  because  they  are  copied 
from  resolutions  hatched  for  great  mischief,  which  I 
have  a  right  to  oppose,  and  did  oppose  in  my  place  as 
Senator  in  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  and  which  I 
cannot  cease  to  oppose  without  personal  disgrace  and  offi 
cial  dereliction  of  public  duty,  and  because  I  think  it  is  due 
to  the  people  to  give  them  an  opportunity  to  consider  pro 
ceedings  so  gravely  affecting  them,  and  on  which  they  have 
not  been  consulted. 

"I  appeal  to  the  people,  and  the  whole  body  of  the 
people.  It  is  a  question  above  party,  and  should  be  kept 
above  it.  I  mean  to  keep  it  there." 
3.  Reply  of  Benton's  appeal  and  addresses  did  not  go  unanswered. 
A11  over  the  State  there  were  able  and  influential  men  who 
controverted  his  position  and  denounced  his  course. 
Among  these  were  James  S.  Green,  David  R.  Atchison, 
Claiborne  F.  Jackson,  Robert  M.  Stewart,  Carty  Wells, 
and  many  others. 

Although  the  contest  concerning  Ben  ton  was  an  affair 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS   HART   BENTON      277 

primarily  within  the  ranks  of  the  Democratic  party  in  Division  in 
Missouri,  it  was  not  without  its  effects  upon  the  Whigs,  Whisparty 
the  minority  party  of  the  State.  The  Whigs  also  be 
came  divided  into  Benton  and  anti-Benton  Whigs  accord 
ing  as  they  favored  or  disapproved  of  his  slavery  policy. 
But  quite  naturally  both  branches  of  the  Whigs  sought 
to  foment  the  differences  between  the  Benton  and  the 
anti-Benton  Democrats,  for  the  wider  the  gulf  between 
these  two  factions  the  better  were  the  political  prospects 
of  the  Whigs.  The  wisdom  of  that  policy  is  seen  in  the 
way  the  campaign  for  the  election  for  the  members  to 
the  legislature  in  1850  turned  out.  There  were  very 
few  speeches  made  in  Missouri  during  that  campaign. 
Apparently  all  had  been  said  that  was  needed  to 
be  said  during  the  preceding  year.  Moreover,  both 
Benton  and  Atchison  were  busy  in  Congress  dealing 
with  the  matter  commonly  known  as  the  Compromise 
of  1850. 

When  the  returns  from  the  August  election  in  Missouri  Benton's 
came  in,  it  appeared  at  once  that  there  would  be  three  l8e5ja 
parties  represented  in  the  legislature,  Benton  Democrats, 
anti-Benton  Democrats,  and  Whigs,  no  one  of  which  had 
sufficient  strength  to  elect  a  candidate  to  the  United  States 
Senate.  "The  war  of  the  factions  waged  furiously," 
according  to  a  contemporary  Whig,  "each  wing  of  the 
Democratic  party  preferring  the  success  of  the  Whigs  to 
the  success  of  the  opposing  division  of  their  own  party. 
Finally  a  portion  of  the  line  of  each  of  the  opposing  forces 
gave  way  and  victory  perched  upon  the  banner  of  the 
Whigs."  On  the  fortieth  ballot  taken  on  January  22, 
1831,  Henry  S.  Geyer,  a  Whig  and  an  eminent  lawyer  of 
St.  Louis,  was  elected  as  Benton's  successor  in  the  United 
States  Senate.1  On  March  4,  1851,  Benton  retired  there 
from  after  having  served  continuously  for  thirty  years. 
Even  his  bitterest  enemies  in  that  body  regretted  see- 

1  Geyer,  80  ;  Benton,  55  ;  Stringfellow,  18  ;  scattering,  4,     String- 
fellow  was  the  anti-Benton  Democrat. 


278 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Causes  of 

Benton's 

Overthrow 


i.  His  Atti 
tude  toward 
Slavery 


ing  him  pass  out  of  it,  because  of  his  sterling  integrity 
and  his  great  ability. 

The  forces  that  brought  Benton  to  his  fall  were  led  by 
the  radically  Southern  or  pro-slavery  element  of  the  Demo 
cratic  party  in  Missouri.  They  did  not  like  Benton's 
attitude  toward  slavery,  and  anticipating  that,  on  the 
issues  arising  in  connection  with  the  territories  acquired 
through  the  Mexican  War,  he  would  act  contrary  to  their 

wishes,  they  sought  to  cast 
discredit  upon  him  by  passing 
the  " Jackson  Resolutions"  to 
which  they  knew  he  could  not 
conform.  Benton  was  a  slave 
holder  and  was  one  of  the  few 
members  of  Congress  who 
continued  as  late  as  1850  to 
bring  his  slaves  with  him  to 
Washington  as  household  ser 
vants.  But  from  the  very 
first  he  considered  the  institu 
tion  of  slavery  as  an  evil  and 
was  opposed  to  its  extension 
into  places  where  it  did  not 
already  exist.  At  the  same 
time  he  was  bitterly  opposed 
to  the  Abolitionists  and  their 

agitation.  He  favored  keeping  the  slaves  and  even  the 
free  negroes  in  a  state  of  subordination  as  a  safeguard 
to  society,  and  as  a  means  of  protecting  the  best  in 
terests  of  the  negroes  themselves.  Moreover,  he  knew 
the  Abolitionists  cared  little  or  nothing  for  the  Union, 
and  hence  he  detested  them  for  their  avowed  disunion 
tendencies.  But  he  could  not  support  the  plans  of  the 
Southerners  to  suppress  abolition  agitation  by  authoriz 
ing  the  postmaster  to  exclude  abolition  literature  from 
the  mails. 

Emphasis,  however,  needs  to  be  put  upon  his  opposition 


HENRY  S.  GEYER 

Benton's  successor  in  the  United 


of  the  Missouri  Historical  Society, 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS   HART  BENTON      279 

to  the  extension  of  slavery  into  regions  where  it  did  not 
yet  exist,1  and  upon  his  belief  that  Congress  alone  had  the 
right  to  determine  whether  or  not  slavery  should  exist  in 
territories.  It  was  this  position  that  brought  him  squarely 
into  conflict  with  the  pro-slavery  element  in  Missouri. 
According  to  their  way  of  thinking,  Congress  had  no  right 
to  exclude  slaves  from  the  territories,  and  moreover  the 
people  of  the  territories  alone  had  the  right  to  say  whether 
slavery  should  exist  at  the  time  when  they  framed  their 
state  constitutions.  This  was  indeed,  as  we  have  seen, 
the  chief  provision  of  the  "Jackson  Resolutions." 

Because  the  pro-slavery  element  insisted  on  this  point, 
Benton  contended  that  they  were  headed  toward  seces 
sion  and  disunion,  and  as  he  stood  first,  last,  and  all  the 
time  for  the  Union,  he  was  all  the  more  bitter  in  his  denun 
ciation  of  them  and  their  policies. 

It  is  conceded,  however,  that  Benton  aggravated  the  sit-  2.  His  "Ap- 
uation  by  his  bold  and  reckless  defiance  of  the  pro-slavery  Addresses 
people.  If  he  had  ignored  the  "  Jackson  Resolutions  " 
and  had  gone  on  his  way  in  the  Senate,  debating  and  vot 
ing  his  views  and  opinions  there,  he  would  have  given 
his  opponents  less  occasion  to  attack  him  than  he  did  by 
issuing  his  "Appeal"  and  following  it  up  with  a  tour  of 
speech-making  throughout  the  State.  But  such  a  pro 
cedure  was  not  in  keeping  with  his  nature.  He  was 
daring  and  fearless  in  spite  of  all  kinds  of  opposition,  and 
he  was  confident  he  could  hold  his  own  in  an  open  fight. 

His  attitude  in  this  matter  brings  out  in  the  strongest 
relief  the  most  dominant  characteristic  of  the  man— his 
absolute  fearlessness.  This  was  not  the  first  time  he 

1  In  his  speech  at  Jefferson  City  in  May,  1849,  he  said:  "My 
personal  sentiments  are,  then,  against  the  institution  of  slavery  and 
against  its  introduction  into  places  where  it  does  not  exist.  If 
there  was  no  slavery  in  Missouri  to-day  I  would  oppose  its  coming ; 
if  there  was  no  slavery  in  the  United  States  I  would  oppose  its 
coming  into  the  United  States ;  as  there  is  none  in  New  Mexico  or 
California,  I  am  against  sending  it  to  those  territories  and  could 
not  vote  for  such  a  measure." 


280 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


The  Sources 
of  his 
Strength 
with  the 
People 

i.  His 

Fearlessness 


2.  His  Fine 
Physique 


3.  His  Wide 
Knowledge 


had  defied  public  opinion.  We  have  seen  how  he  had 
opposed  the  annexation  of  Texas  when  practically  all  of 
Missouri  favored  it.  We  have  seen  also  how  he  had  taken 
the  unpopular  side  in  a  number  of  State  issues.  Every 
body  recognized  him  as  a  man  of  great  boldness  and 
courage,  both  moral  and  physical,  and  although  these  very 
traits  finally  led  him  into  a  conflict  with  his  constituents 
that  resulted  in  his  downfall,  they  were  among  the  things 
that  won  for  him  their  support  during  the  greater  part 
of  his  career. 

There  were  other  things  besides  his  fearlessness  that 
caused  the  people  to  admire  Benton.  Physically  he  was 
tall,  robust,  and  muscular.  He  attracted  attention 
wherever  he  went  by  his  fine  physique,  strong  features, 
stately  movements,  and  neat  dress.  All  during  his  public 
career  he  enjoyed  good  health  and  was  vigorous  to  the  end. 
He  was  free  from  the  vices  common  to  men  in  public  life 
in  his  time.  He  did  not  drink,  and  except  for  his  pro 
fanity  when  provoked,  he  was  pure  and  chaste  in  thought 
and  word.  He  was  devoted  to  his  family,  and  though 
inclined  to  rule  his  household  somewhat  strictly  according 
to  his  own  notions,  he  was  frequently  very  indulgent  and 
generally  companionable  with  his  children  and  grand 
children.  He  was  very  generous,  and  died  a  poor  man. 

He  was  noted  for  his  wide  range  of  information  and  for 
his  unquenchable  thirst  for  knowledge.  He  did  not  seek 
for  information  from  books  alone,  but  also  from  his  own 
observations  and  companions  and  from  every  conceivable 
source.  "Hunters  and  trappers,  scouts,  wild  half-breeds, 
Indian  chiefs,  Jesuit  missionaries,  army  officers  back  from 
the  plains,  were  all  eagerly  sought  by  him  and  contributed 
those  facts  which  made  up  his  vast  knowledge  of  un 
settled  America."  He  was  never  satisfied  with  a  super 
ficial  knowledge  of  any  matter,  and  he  frequently  was  able 
to  convince  his  opponents  in  the  Senate  that  he  was  right 
because  his  knowledge  of  the  matter  in  dispute  was  much 
more  extensive  than  theirs. 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS  HART  BENTON   281 

Benton  was  noted  for  his  political  integrity.  It  was  4.  His 
due  largely  to  him  that  a  number  of  petty  grafts  that  had 
been  allowed  to  exist  by  Congressmen  were  stopped.  He 
was  bitterly  opposed  to  lobbyists,  and  he  detested  office 
seekers.  He  opposed  a  number  of  rules  and  regulations  of 
Congress  that  would  permit  hasty  legislation  and  that 
savored  of  being  undemocratic. 

Moreover,  he  was  a  true  Westerner  and  had  an  abiding  5-  His  Belief 
faith  in  the  future  development  of  the  West.     He  there-  intheWest 
fore  favored  everything  that  tended  to  make  it  stronger 
and  better,  and  was  regarded  as  the  champion  of  cheap 
land,  the  fur  trade,  and  western  expansion. 

It  was  because  of  these  personal  qualities  that  Benton 
was  enabled  to  maintain  his  hold  upon  the  common  people 
so  long.  They  felt  that  in  him  they  had  a  champion  who 
would  not  betray  their  best  interests,  although  he  con 
sidered  himself  their  superior  and  held  himself  aloof  from 
them.  They  were  proud  of  the  high  rank  he  had  taken 
in  the  councils  of  the  nation.  He  was  always  classed  with 
Clay,  Calhoun,  and  Webster,  and  to  a  great  many  he  stood 
first  in  this  famous  group  of  four. 

But  over  against  these  traits  and  characteristics  there  Contribut- 
were  others  that  contributed  to  his  downfall.     In  the  first  ^g  Causes 

of  his 

place,  he  was  given  to  certain  ways  that  tended  to  alienate  Downfall 
his  friends  and  supporters.     He  was  very  vain  and  ego 
tistical  ;  he  was  austere,  reserved,  and  distant ;  he  lacked 
personal  magnetism.     He  had  little  or  no  patience  with 
anyone  who  disagreed  with  him,  and  did  nothing  to  con 
ciliate  or  win  over  those  who  opposed  him.     He  was  strong 
in  his  prejudices  and  considered  himself  wiser  than  others, 
and  demanded  that  his  friends  should  accept  his  views  and 
opinions  without  any  question.     He  brooked  no  opposi-   i.  His 
tion,  and  would  rather  drive  an  adherent  from  his  support  Haughtiness 
than  attempt  to  win  him  by  forbearance,  toleration,  and 
conciliation.     He  was  very  personal  in  his  public  utter 
ances  and  was  given  to  abusing  roundly  all  who  dared  to 
oppose  him.     Ridicule  was  a  favorite  weapon,  and  when 


282 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


2.  His  Lack 
of  Political 
Tact 


Loss  of  In 
fluence  dur 
ing  the  Last 
Ten  Years  of 
Service 


angered  he  would  indulge  in  a  great  deal  of  profanity  in  his 
public  addresses.  Vindictive  and  unforgiving,  tyran 
nical  and  dictatorial,  he  always  aimed  to  crush  those  who 
differed  with  him. 

In  the  second  place,  "  Benton  was  no  politician.  He 
moved  to  Washington  soon  after  his  first  election  and 
made  his  home  there  the  rest  of  his  life.  He  came  back 
to  St.  Louis  every  summer  and  every  few  years  he  went 
on  a  tour  to  the  principal  towns  of  the  State.  He  did  not 
know  the  younger  men  growing  up  in  politics  and  did  not 
care  to.  He  expected  the  party  to  take  his  advice  and 
orders,  and  laughed  at  the  younger  men  as  '  boys. '  Frank 
P.  Blair  was  the  only  young  leader  whom  Benton  liked  and 
trusted.  Benton  refused  to  ask  for  offices  and  appoint 
ments  for  his  followers  and  so  build  up  a  party.  His 
idea  was  to  appeal  directly  to  the  people  through  his 
speeches  in  Congress  and  through  the  newspapers,  and  to 
ignore  the  local  leaders." 

For  many  years  these  political  methods  of  Benton  suc 
ceeded  fairly  well.  The  politicians  did  not  like  him  and 
chafed  under  the  situation,  but  they  had  to  submit  because 
the  people  trusted  him.  Benton  was  never  really  popular 
in  Missouri  with  the  people,  but  he  was  greatly  admired 
by  them,  and  hence  the  politicians  found  they  had  to  en 
dure  what  they  did  not  like  at  all. 

But  during  the  last  ten  years  of  his  service  in  the  Senate, 
Benton  began  to  lose  influence  both  at  Washington  and 
at  home.  During  that  time  the  control  of  the  Democratic 
party  had  fallen  very  largely  into  the  hands  of  Calhoun 
and  other  leaders  from  the  South  who,  according  to 
Benton's  view,  were  bent  upon  breaking  up  the  Union. 
Since  Benton's  political  creed  was  based  on  the  preserva 
tion  of  the  Union,  he  became  irreconcilably  opposed  to 
Calhoun  and  his  supporters,  and  in  so  doing  became  less 
influential  in  his  party.  We  have  also  seen  how  his  atti 
tude  on  the  money  and  the  Texas  questions  had  been 
unpopular  with  a  great  many  of  his  political  friends  and 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS  HART  BENTON      283 


supporters  at  home,  and  how  he  had  been  forced  to  strug 
gle  to  retain  his  seat  in  1844.  We  have  also  seen  how  he 
had  openly  quarreled  with  President  Polk,  thus  adding  to 
the  strength  of  the  opposition  against  him. 

Moreover,  there  was  a  very  pronounced  feeling  among 
all  Western  people  against  any  man  holding  one  office  too 
long.  The  younger  men  who  were  rising  in  the  Demo 
cratic  party  in  Missouri  applied  this  doctrine  of  short 
terms  and  rotation  in  office  to  Ben  ton,  and  plotted  to  get 
him  out  of  the  way.  Their 
attacks  upon  him  were  all 
the  more  effective  because  of 
those  traits  and  character 
istics  of  Benton  that  were 
more  or  less  repellent.  They 
enlarged  upon  his  foibles  and 
emphasized  his  aloofness  and 
airs  of  superiority. 

The  defeat  of  Benton  for 
reelection  to  the  Senate  in 
1851  did  not  mean,  however, 
his  immediate  retirement  from 
public  life.  In  1852  he  was 
elected  to  Congress  from  the 
first  Missouri  district.  The 
contest  was  a  very  spirited 
one  and  was  marked  with  con 
siderable  vituperation  and 
abuse  on  the  part  of  Benton. 
There  were  three  candidates  in 
the  field,  two  Democrats  and  one  Whig.  Benton  was 
elected,  however,  by  a  plurality  of  nearly  600  votes.1 

On  entering  the  House,  Benton  was  treated  with  much 
respect  and  was  assigned  to  the  chairmanship  of  the 
committee  on  military  affairs  which  he  had  held  so 

Benton,  7844;  Bogy  (Democrat),  2072;  Caruthers  (Whig), 
7260. 


THOMAS  HART  BENTON 

In  later  life.  From  Stevens'  Mis 
souri,  the  Center  State,  by  permission 
of  the  Missouri  Historical  Society. 


Later  Career 


i.  In  the 
House  of 
Representa 
tives 


284 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Attempt 
to  Reenter 
the  Senate 


3.  Race  for 
the  Gover 
norship 


long  in  the  Senate.  Whenever  he  spoke,  the  members 
would  generally  gather  around  him  and  pay  him  the  closest 
attention.  But  he  was  not  as  active  in  the  House  as  he 
had  been  in  the  Senate,  partly  because  of  the  limitation 
upon  debate  that  necessarily  exists  in  the  House  and 
partly  because  he  was  very  much  engrossed  in  literary 
work.  The  greatest  speech  made  by  him  in  the  House 
was  on  the  Kansas-Nebraska  bill,  which  he  vehemently 
denounced.  In  taking  this  stand  he  was  putting  himself 
in  opposition  to  the  party  that  had  elected  him,  and  when 
he  came  up  for  reelection  in  1854  he  was  defeated  by 
a  plurality  of  nearly  looo.1 

Although  the  defeat  was  very  humiliating  to  Benton, 
he  sought  to  regain  entrance  to  the  Senate  by  opposing 
Atchison  for  reelection  in  1855.  Three  candidates  were 
in  the  field:  Atchison  (anti-Benton) ,  Benton,  and  Doni- 
phan  (Whig).  The  balloting  in  the  legislature  ran  gen 
erally  as  follows:  Atchison,  51  ;  Benton,  40;  and  Doni- 
phan,  57.  Atchison 's  name  was  finally  withdrawn  and 
that  of  Williams  of  the  supreme  court  was  first  submitted 
and  later  that  of  Sterling  Price,  governor  of  the  State, 
but  to  no  avail.  The  legislature  finally  adjourned  with 
out  electing  a  successor  to  Atchison  and  for  two  years 
Missouri  had  only  one  Senator,  Mr.  Geyer,  the  Whig 
successor  to  Benton. 

Meanwhile  Benton's  friends  had  been  making  vigorous 
efforts  to  get  the  " Jackson  Resolutions"  repealed  in  the 
Missouri  legislature,  but  in  vain. 

Although  defeated  twice  for  the  Senate  and  once  for  the 
House,  Benton  was  still  undaunted  and  decided  to  enter 
the  political  conflict  once  more  in  1856,  this  time  for  the 
office  of  governor  of  the  State.  Three  candidates  were 
in  the  field :  Trusten  Polk  (Democrat  or  anti-Benton) , 
Robert  Ewing  (Whig),  and  Benton.  Benton  was  warned 
by  his  friends  that  he  was  pursuing  a  hopeless  cause,  but 


'Kennet    (Whig),   6275; 
Democrat),  378. 


Benton,    5297 ;      Polk    (anti-Benton 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THOMAS  HART  BENTON   285 

he  refused  to  listen  to  them.  Although  74  years  old  and 
suffering  from  a  malady  that  proved  fatal  eighteen  months 
later,  he  entered  into  the  campaign  with  the  vigor  of  a  man 
in  the  prime  of  life,  traveling  more  than  1200  miles  and 
making  more  than  forty  speeches  of  considerable  length. 
But  he  was  doomed  to  another  defeat,  coming  out  third 
in  the  race.1 

He  spent  his  remaining  days  in  literary  efforts,  first  4.  Literary 
completing  his  Thirty  Years'  View  and  then  taking  up  the  Efforts 
Abridgment   of  the   Debates   in   Congress.        He   died   on 
April  10,  1858,  before  he  had  finished  this  latter  task. 

Notwithstanding  his  faults  and  shortcomings,  Benton  Missouri's 
has  been  considered  from  his  day  to  this  as  Missouri's  citizen^ 
greatest  citizen. 

REFERENCES 

General  —  Roosevelt,  Thomas  Hart  Benton.  Meigs,  Thomas  Hart 
Benton.  Rogers,  Thomas  Hart  Benton.  Of  these  three  biographies 
of  Benton,  the  best  one  is  by  Meigs. 

Early  Life  and  Career  of  Benton —  Roosevelt,  pp.  1-68.  Meigs, 
pp.  1-158.  Rogers,  pp.  1-54. 

Early  Opposition  to  Benton  in  Missouri — McClure,  "Early 
Opposition  to  Thomas  Hart  Benton,"  in  the  Missouri  Historical 
Review  for  April,  1916,  pp.  150-196.  Reprinted  separately.  The 
only  account  of  the  political  opposition  that  began  to  show  itself  in 
Missouri  toward  Benton  prior  to  1844.  This  article  was  used 
extensively  by  the  author  of  this  book  when  dealing  with  the  early 
opposition  that  developed  against  Benton. 

Downfall  of  Benton — Roosevelt,  pp.  317-340.  Meigs,  pp.  384— 
422.  Rogers,  pp.  245-282.  Ray,  Repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise, 
chs.  i-ii.  These  chapters  appeared  also  in  the  Missouri  Historical 
Review  for  October,  1907,  and  January,  1908.  They  give  a  very 
good  account  of  the  fight  against  Benton  from  1 844  to  1 850.  Written 
as  a  background  for  the  Kansas- Nebraska  Act. 

Character  of  Benton  and  his  Later  Career —  Roosevelt,  pp.  341- 
365.  Meigs,  pp.  423-520.  Rogers,  pp.  283-349. 


1  Polk,  46,933  ;    Ewing,  40,589  ;    Benton,  27,618, 


CHAPTER   XIII 


Indian 
Slaves  in 
Missouri 


Early  Negro 
Slavery  in 
Missouri 


SLAVERY  IN  MISSOURI 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  general  economic  and  social  condi 
tions  that  prevailed  throughout  the  country  during  the  decade 
preceding  the  Civil  War.] 

SLAVERY  existed  in  Missouri  from  very  early  times 
down  to  1865.  During  the  French  period  there  were 
both  Indian  and  negro  slaves,  but  by  1803  Indian  slaves 
had  practically  disappeared,  thanks  to  the  efforts  of  the 
Spanish  governors  of  Louisiana. 

Negro  slavery  in  Missouri  dates  from  the  time  of  Re 
nault,  who,  on  his  way  from  France  in  1719  to  what  is 
now  Missouri,  stopped  at  San  Domingo  and  purchased 
500  negro  slaves  to  work  in  the  mines  which  he  was  going 
to  open  in  the  Missouri  country.  From  these  negroes 
were  descended  most  of  the  slaves  living  in  the  French 
settlements  at  Kaskaskia,  Cahokia,  Ste.  Genevieve,  St. 
Louis,  and  St.  Charles  at  the  time  of  the  Louisiana  Pur 
chase.  Those  found  in  the  Cape  Girardeau  and  New 
Madrid  districts  were  brought  in  by  the  American  im 
migrants.  At  first  the  Spanish  government  evidently 
sought  to  encourage  negro  slavery  in  Missouri,  since  the 
amount  of  land  which  it  granted  to  settlers  depended  not 
only  on  the  size  of  the  family  but  also  on  the  number  of 
servants  and  slaves  which  came  with  them.  But  later 
an  attempt  was  made  to  stop  the  further  introduction  of 
negro  slaves,  due  doubtless  to  the  fear  that  negro  up 
risings  like  those  in  Virginia,  the  Carolinas,  and  San 
Domingo  would  occur  if  the  negroes  became  too  numerous. 

The  negro  slaves  owned  by  the  French  settlers  were 

286 


SLAVERY  IN   MISSOURI 


287 


employed  principally  in  farming,  and  as  they  had  little 
work  to  do  and  were  well  treated  they  became  greatly 
attached  to  their  masters.  The  French  settlers  did  not 
have  any  of  that  race  prejudice  which  characterized  the 
American  slave  owners,  and  hence  the  relation  between 
the  French  and  their  slaves  was  closer  than  that  which 
existed  between  the  Americans  and  their  slaves.  It  is 
true  that  the  American  pioneers  treated  their  slaves  well, 
but  they  always  considered  the  negroes  as  an  inferior 
race,  and  this  put  a  bar  between  master  and  slave  that 
did  not  exist  in  the  case  of  the  French. 

The  number  of  slaves  in  Missouri  was  never  large.  In 
1803  there  were  between  two  and  three  thousand  slaves, 
and  in  1860  there  were  1 14,93 1  slaves  and  3572  free  negroes. 
By  noting  the  table  of  statistics  below,  taken  from  the 
United  States  census  from  1810  to  i860,1  we  shall  see  that 
while  there  was  a  numerical  increase  in  the  number  of 
slaves  from  decade  to  decade,  the  percentage  of  increase 
of  slaves  steadily  decreased.  But  from  1810  to  1830  the 
slaves  increased  more  in  proportion  to  the  entire  popu 
lation  than  did  the  free  population.  During  these  two 
decades  immigration  into  Missouri  was  chiefly  from  the 
slave  states.  But  from  1830  to  1860,  when  immigration 
from  free  states  and  from  abroad  became  marked,  slaves 

1  The  following  tabulation  shows  by  decades  the  percentage  of 
slaves  of  the  entire  population  of  Missouri  and  the  percentage  of 
increase  in  the  number  of  slaves : 


PERCENT- 

PERCENT 

YEAR 

TOTAL 
POPULATION 

WHITES 

FREE 
COLORED 

SLAVES 

SLAVES  OF 

AGE  OF 
INCREASE 

POPULATION 

OF  SLAVES 

1810 

20,845 

17,227 

607 

3,011 

14-5 



1820 

66,586 

54,903 

376 

9,797 

15-4 

239.48 

1830 

I40»455 

115,364 

569 

25,091 

17.8 

145.46 

1840 

383,702 

322,295 

1478 

57,891 

15-5 

132.11 

1850 

682,044 

592,004 

26l8 

87,422 

12.8 

50.1 

1860 

1182,012 

1063,489 

3572 

H4,93i 

9.8 

33 

Number  of 
Slaves  in 
Missouri, 
1803-60 


i.  Decrease 
in  the  Per 
centage  of 
Increase 


288 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  increase 

Number  of 
Slaves  in 


increased  less  in  proportion  to  the  entire  population  than 
did  the  free  population.  It  will  also  be  seen  from  this 
fact  that,  whereas  in  1810  there  was  approximately  one 
slave  for  every  six  whites,  in  1860  there  was  only  one 
slave  for  every  nine  whites.1  The  increase  in  the  num 
ber  of  whites  and  slaves  in  Missouri  during  the  period 
from  1810  was  due  largely  to  immigration,  especially  in 
the  case  of  the  whites,  and  it  is  more  than  likely  that  since 
most  of  the  white  immigrants  during  this  period  came 
from  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Virginia,  and  North  Caro 
lina,  most  of  the  slaves  that  were  imported  into  Missouri 
came  from  the  slave  states. 

Although  there  was  a  continued  actual  increase  in  the 
number  of  slaves  in  Missouri  up  to  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War,  there  were  portions  of  the  State  in  which  slavery 
was'  between  l85°  and  l86o>  numerically  on  the  decline. 
In  the  old  French  counties  along  the  Mississippi  River 
south  of  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  and  in  the  older  coun 
ties  along  the  Missouri  from  its  mouth  to  the  boundaries 
of  Callaway  and  Cole  counties,  the  number  of  slaves  de 
creased  between  1850  and  1860,  while  in  the  counties 
farther  up  the  Missouri  River  and  along  the  western 
boundary  of  the  State  the  slave  population  increased 
during  that  time.  Two  reasons  may  be  assigned  for  this 
actual  increase  in  the  number  of  slaves  in  the  counties 
along  the  upper  Missouri  and  along  the  western  border  : 
first,  that  portion  of  the  State  was  richer  than  the  older 
counties  and  was  better  adapted  to  the  cultivation  of 
hemp,  the  chief  crop  raised  by  slave  labor  in  Missouri  ; 
and  second,  during  that  decade  the  white  population  of 
that  part  of  the  State  grew  more  rapidly  than  any  other, 
and  as  many  of  the  newcomers  in  this  region  were  slave 
holders,  the  slave  population  naturally  increased. 

Although  Missouri  was  a  slave  state,  its  system  of 
slavery  differed  in  many  ways  from  that  which  prevailed  in 

1  In  some  of  the  Southern  states  the  slaves  equaled  the  whites 
in  number. 


SLAVERY  IN  MISSOURI 


289 


the  Southern  states.     There  were  few  great  plantations  of  3-  Small 
"the  Mississippi  type  with  its  white  overseer  and  gangs  ^umbwof 
of  driven  blacks"  cultivating  a  staple,  crop.     Except  in  Slaves  Held 
the  Missouri  River  counties  where  hemp  was  the  staple,  the  by  Masters 


MAP  OF  MISSOURI  SHOWING  BY  COUNTIES  THE  NUMBER  OF  SLAVES 
AND  WHITE  PEOPLE  IN  THE  STATE  IN  1860 

The  figures  above  the  names  of  the  counties  give  the  number  of  slaves, 
and  those  below,  the  number  of  white  people. 

farmers  of  Missouri  were  usually  engaged  in  general  farm 
ing.  Even  where  cotton  and  tobacco  were  raised,  they  were 
cultivated  not  as  staples  but  as  incidental  crops.  Hence 
the  slaves  on  most  of  the  Missouri  farms  were  employed 
as  general  field  hands  and  were  not  put  under  the  "task 
system  "  as  in  the  South,  where  cotton  was  the  great  staple. 


2QO 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


Value  of 
Slaves 


Traffic  in 
Slaves 


Inasmuch  as  this  was  the  case,  the  number  of  slaves 
held  by  a  given  master  was  not  often  large.  "Very  few 
masters  had  one  hundred  slaves  and  not  many  had  fifty." 
While  the  number  of  slaves  owned  by  one  master  varied 
from  a  single  slave  to  four  hundred,  most  of  the  masters 
had  less  than  five  slaves  each. 

Many  of  the  single  slaves  were  household  or  personal 
servants.  This  was  true  in  both  the  towns  and  the  coun 
try.  Slaves  were  employed  at  times  as  hands  on  the  river 
boats  and  in  the  lead  mines,  and  they  were  also  used  in 
general  work  about  the  towns.  But  the  majority  of  the 
slaves  in  Missouri  were  employed  as  field  hands. 

From  what  has  been  said  it  will  readily  be  seen  that  as 
a  slave  state  Missouri  was  "a  region  of  small  farms,  small 
slave  holdings,  and  relatively  few  slaves." 

It  is  impossible  to  give  anything  like  an  accurate  state 
ment  as  to  the  monetary  value  of  slaves  in  Missouri. 
Governor  Jackson  said  in  1861  that  the  slaves  in  Missouri 
at  that  time  were  valued  at  $100,000,000 ;  he  arrived  at 
that  estimate  by  averaging  all  the  slaves  at  about  $700 
apiece.  That  may  have  been  a  fair  estimate.  As  far  as 
we  know  there  was  gradual  increase  in  the  value  of  slaves 
from  i8iotoi86p.  It  was  seldom  that  a  slave  brought 
more  than  $500  before  1830,  while  in  1850  $1300  was  the 
usual  price  for  a  prime  male  slave  and  $1000  for  a  prime 
female  slave;  $1600  is  the  highest  price  on  record  for 
a  man,  and  $1300  for  a  woman.  The  "$2000  slave"  in 
Missouri  seems  to  have  been  a  myth. 

There  was  naturally  a  decline  in  the  value  and  prices 
of  slaves  after  the  Civil  War  began,  but  it  is  surprising 
to  note  how  well  prices  kept  up  during  the  first  two  years 
of  the  war.  As  late  as  1863  slaves  were  still  bringing  a 
fairly  good  sum  in  Missouri. 

Wherever  slavery  prevailed  there  was  always  more  or 
less  traffic  in  slaves.  In  Missouri  there  was  not  only  the 
local  exchanging  of  the  surplus  slaves  among  the  owners, 
but  there  was  also  buying  and  selling  by  itinerant  dealers 


SLAVERY  IN  MISSOURI  291 

who  went  the  rounds  of  the  small  towns,  and  by  local 
dealers  in  the  larger  places.  Many  of  the  slaves  that 
were  bought  up  by  these  itinerants  and  local  dealers  were 
sent  down  South,  but  Missouri  slave  owners  have  strenu 
ously  denied  that  they  ever  embarked  upon  the  business 
of  breeding  slaves  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  South 
ern  market.  They  have  maintained  that  when  they  sold 
their  slaves  they  were  forced  to  do  so  because  they  had  a 
greater  number  than  they  could  take  care  of,  or  because 
of  financial  reverses,  or  of  some  ill  trait  in  a  slave,  such 
as  chronic  viciousness  or  persistency  in  trying  to  escape. 
The  very  dealers  to  whom  they  sold  their  slaves  were 
often  despised  by  them.  St.  Louis  was,  of  course,  the 
chief  slave  market  in  the  State,  especially  for  the  gangs 
that  were  shipped  South.  Many  a  slave  was  kept  in 
good  discipline  by  the  threat  of  his  master  that  he 
would  be  "sold  down  South"  if  he  did  not  behave 
himself. 

The  existence  of  slavery  in  Missouri  raised  several 
problems,  such  as  the  civil  status  of  slaves,  their  re 
lation  to  their  masters,  the  means  of  controlling  slaves, 
and  the  methods  of  procedure  and  punishment  of 
slaves  in  cases  of  crime  and  misdemeanor.  These 
matters  were  made  the  subject  of  legislation  from  time 
to  time.1 

As  far  as  slavery  had  any  legal  basis  in  Missouri  at  all,   Legal  Basis 
it  rested,  first,  on  the  Treaty  of  1803,  which  provided  ^MJsJouri 
that  "the  inhabitants  of  the  ceded  territory  will  be  up-   l  Treaty  of 
held  and  protected  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  liberty,   1803  and 
property,  and  religion,"  and  second,  on  the  constitution 
of  Missouri  of  1820,  which  guaranteed  slave  property  by 
providing  that  no  slaves  were  to  be  emancipated  "with 
out  the  consent  of  their  owners  or  without  paying  for 
them  before  such  emancipation,"  and  also  by  providing 
that  "bonafide  emigrants  to  this  State  or  actual  settlers 

1  The  free  negro  was  the  occasion  for  more  real  anxiety  to  slave 
owners  in  Missouri  than  were  the  slaves  themselves. 


2Q2 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


herein"  were  to  be  secure  in  such  property  "so  long  as 
any  persons  of  the  same  description  are  allowed  to  be  held 
as  slaves  by  the  laws  of  the  State." 

2.  Slave  The  first  law  that  was  enacted  regarding  slavery  in 

Codes,  1804-   MiSSOUri  after  the  Louisiana  Purchase  was  a  code  drawn 

DO 

up  in  1804  by  the  governor  and  the  judges  of  Indiana 
Territory  under  whose  jurisdiction  the  District  of  Louisi 
ana  had  been  placed.1  This  rather  elaborate  code  was 
drawn  largely  from  the  statutes  of  Virginia  on  governing 
slaves,  and  remained  in  effect  until  1825,  when  it  was 
superseded  by  another  code  which,  but  for  a  few  addi 
tions  made  from  time  to  time,  remained  unchanged  down 
to  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War.  Like  the  code  of  1804, 
that  of  1825  and  the  later  additions  that  were  made  to 
it  were  largely  adaptations  of  laws  of  other  slaveholding 
states,  especially  Virginia  and  Kentucky. 

It  is  not  possible  here  to  outline  the  provisions  of  these 
different  codes  and  laws  and  the  changes  that  were  made 
in  them  from  time  to  time.  But  an  attempt  will  be 
made  to  discuss  some  of  the  provisions  of  the  law  touch 
ing  slaves  and  slavery  as  they  existed  at  the  beginning  of 
the  Civil  War. 

As  regards  his  civil  status,  a  slave  was  considered  as 
personal  property  and  could  be  legally  disposed  of  the 
same  as  any  other  kind  of  personal  property.  He  could 
hold  no  property  in  his  own  right,  neither  could  he  buy 
and  sell  without  the  permission  of  his  master.  There 
were  particular  laws  against  a  slave  selling  liquor.  If 
he  committed  any  depredations,  his  owner  was  responsible 
the  same  as  for  injury  done  by  his  other  live  stock.  Ex 
cept  under  certain  circumstances  a  slave  could  not  be  a 


Civil  Status 
of  Slaves 
in  Missouri 

i.  Dis 
abilities 


1  The  French  and  Spanish  authorities  of  Louisiana  had  issued 
extensive  regulations  concerning  slaves,  but  inasmuch  as  slaves 
were  not  numerous  in  Missouri  during  their  rule,  and  furthermore, 
since  these  regulations  were  wholly  superseded  by  American  legis 
lation  after  the  acquisition  of  Louisiana  in  1803,  no  attention  will 
be  given  to  them  here. 


SLAVERY   IN   MISSOURI  293 

witness  at  court  against  a  white  person,1  and  marriages 
between  slaves  were  not  recognized  by  law.2 

But,  notwithstanding  all  these  civil  disabilities,  a  slave  2-  A  Slave 
was  not  a  mere  thing.  The  constitution  of  1820  pro-  Thing 
tected  him  from  being  at  the  absolute  mercy  of  his  master 
by  providing  that  the  legislature  should  pass  laws  which 
would  "  oblige  the  owners  of  slaves  to  treat  them  with 
humanity  and  to  abstain  from  all  injuries  to  them  extend 
ing  to  life  or  limb."  It  also  provided  that  a  slave  was  to 
be  given  a  jury  trial,  and  in  case  of  conviction  of  a  capital 
offense  he  was  to  receive  the  same  punishment  as  a  white 
man  for  a  like  offense  and  "no  other,"  and  he  was  to  be 
assigned  counsel  for  defense.  It  further  provided  that 
"any  person  who  shall  maliciously  deprive  of  life  or  dis 
member  any  slave  shall  suffer  such  punishment  as  would 
be  inflicted  for  a  like  offense  if  it  were  committed  on  a 
free  white  person."  The  slave  was  also  protected  from 
cruelty  in  forcing  evidence  from  him,  and  in  indictments 
for  misdemeanors  he  was  at  first  subject  to  the  same  pro 
cedure  as  that  which  was  followed  in  the  case  of  whites, 
although  that  practice  was  somewhat  modified  in  later 
times.3 

Laws  were  passed  at  different  times  which  enabled  one 
held  in  slavery  to  sue  for  his  freedom  as  a  poor  person, 
if  he  had  any  ground  for  claiming  his  freedom. 

Slaves  were,  of  course,  amenable  to  all  the  laws  con-  3-  Penalties 
cerning  crimes  and  misdemeanors,  but  there  were  three  a^rd  ^^a 
crimes  that  were  considered  especially  grave  on  the  part  demeanors 
of  slaves,  namely,  conspiracy  to  rebellion,  insurrection  or 
murder,  criminal  assault  upon  women,  and  resistance  to 
their  owners  or  overseers.     The  death  penalty  was  in 
flicted  for  the  first  of  these  offenses,  mutilation  for  the 

1  This  applied  to  free  negroes  and  mulattoes  as  well  as  to  slaves. 

2  A  statute  passed  in  1 865  requiring  a  legal  marriage  of  all  slaves 
is  evidence  on  this  point. 

3  The  justice  of  the  peace   court  was  the  court   to  which   the 
slave  was  taken  for  most  of  the  offenses  he  committed. 


294 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Relation 
between 
Masters 
and  Slaves 


second,1  and  39  stripes  for  the  third.  The  lash  was  used 
for  many  other  offenses,  and  in  some  instances  the 
maximum  number  of  stripes  was  set  forth  in  the  law, 
while  in  others  the  matter  was  left  to  the  discretion  of 
the  court.  A  slave  was  never  fined  or  imprisoned  in 
lieu  of  the  lash  for  an  offense,  except  at  the  request  of  his 
master.  The  lash  might  be  used  against  whites  as  well 
as  blacks  in  some  cases,  and  all  whippings  were  public 
and  upon  the  bare  back  "well  and  truly  laid  on."2  Se 
ditious  speeches  and  riotous  meetings  were  punishable 
with  stripes. 

There  were  occasional  instances  of  mob  violence  against 
slaves  and  free  negroes  for  crimes  which  they  had  cqm- 
mitted,  but  of  the  two  cases  that  caused  the  greatest  ex 
citement  in  the  State,  one  concerned  a  free  negro  and  the 
other  a  slave  who  had  escaped  to  Canada  and  had  been 
there  a  long  time.  On  the  whole,  the  relations  between 
master  and  slave  in  Missouri,  if  we  are  to  believe  the 
testimony  of  the  masters,  were  fairly  close,  considering 
the  ever-present  attitude  of  superiority  that  was  assumed 
by  the  masters  toward  their  slaves.  This  close  relation 
was  no  doubt  made  possible  by  the  small  number  of  slaves 
held  by  most  of  the  owners  and  by  the  absence  of  over 
seers.  In  may  cases  owners  and  slaves  had  come  to 
Missouri  as  fellow  immigrants,  and  this  common  experi 
ence  created  a  certain  bond  of  sympathy  between  them. 
Moreover,  in  the  rural  communities  the  slaves  often 
worshiped  at  the  same  churches  with  their  masters, 
and  were  attended  by  the  same  pastor  and  physician. 
Physical  punishment  at  the  hands  of  the  master  for 
misconduct  or  indolence  was  no  doubt  often  excessive, 

1  The  same  penalty  was  assessed  upon  whites  for  the  same  offense. 

2  The  slave  whip  used  in  Lafayette  County  is  still  in  existence. 
It  is  composed  of  a  wooden  handle  attached  to  a  flat  piece  of  rub 
ber  strap  about  eighteen  inches  long,  an  inch  and  a  half  wide,  and  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  thick.     It  has  the  appearance  of  having  been  cut 
from  rubber  belting,  being  reenforced  with  fiber  as  is  rubber  hose. 
This  whip  would  cause  a  very  painful  blow  without  leaving  a  scar. 


SLAVERY   IN  MISSOURI  295 

but  it  was  to  the  interest  of  the  owner  not  to  make  it 
too  severe,  as  any  permanent  marks  or  scars  caused  by 
such  punishment  were  bound  to  lessen  the  market  value 
of  a  slave. 

There  were  several  laws  included  in  the  slave  code  that  Recovery 
were  directed  against  the  loss  of  slaves  through  escape  or  gi^JJ^*1 
theft.  There  was  always  more  or  less  danger  of  slaves 
escaping  either  on  their  own  volition  or  through  the  as 
sistance  of  persons  who  were  hostile  to  slavery,  the  danger 
increasing  as  the  abolition  movement  grew  in  momentum. 
The  geographical  situation  of  Missouri  facilitated  the 
escape  of  slaves.  Surrounded  on  three  sides  by  free  ter 
ritory,  and  with  two  great  rivers  offering  easy  means  of 
going  and  coming,  the  State  found  itself  at  times  hard 
pressed  to  prevent  slaves  from  escaping  with  constant 
regularity.  This  was  particularly  true  in  the  fifties,  when 
the  "Underground  Railroad"  was  being  successfully 
operated. 

Very  early  a  form  of  procedure  for  the  recovery  of  i.  Laws 
fugitive  slaves  was  prescribed,  and  in  time  laws  with 
severe  penalties  attached  were  passed  against  stealing  Boats 
slaves  or  decoying  them  out  of  the  State.  The  laws 
against  owners  of  boats  plying  on  the  rivers  were  particu 
larly  stringent.  There  were  not  only  provisions  against 
taking  slaves  out  of  the  State,  but  matters  came  to  such 
a  pass  that  boatmen  were  prohibited  from  taking  them 
from  one  point  in  the  State  to  another,  and  the  courts 
were  very  rigid  in  interpreting  and  enforcing  these  laws. 
It  was  not  necessary  to  prove  that  the  captain  knew 
whether  the  negro  he  was  carrying  in  his  vessel  was  a 
slave  or  not,  and  later  it  was  held  that,  even  if  the  captain 
did  not  know  he  had  a  negro  on  board,  that  fact  would 
not  be  a  bar  against  legal  proceedings  on  the  part  of  the 
master  for  the  recovery  of  his  loss. 

In  order  to  lessen  the  chances  of  escape,  laws  were  passed  2.  Laws 
either  prohibiting  assemblies   of  negroes   or  permitting  Assemblies 
them  only  under  certain  regulations.     Slaves  were  pun-  of  Negroes 


296 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.  Patrols 


ished  with  stripes  for  entering  other  plantations  than  those 
of  their  masters,  and  masters  who  permitted  assemblages 
of  slaves  on  their  plantations  were  fined.  Store  and  tavern 
keepers  were  fined  for  allowing  slaves  or  free  negroes  to 
gather  on  their  premises.  This  was  designed  not  only 
as  a  defense  against  idleness  and  intemperance,  but  also 
against  the  danger  of  plots  on  the  part  of  slaves  to  escape 
in  groups.  Finally,  no  religious  assembly  of  negroes  or 
mulattoes  was  allowed  —  if  the  preacher  was  a  negro  — 
unless  some  official  was  present  to  prevent  seditious 
speeches  and  disorderly  conduct. 

The  patrol  was  an  effective  means  for  repressing  any 
concerted  plans  on  the  part  of  the  negroes  to  escape  or 
rebel.  The  law  that  authorized  the  patrol  provided  that 
a  county  court,  if  it  thought  best,  might  appoint  for  each 
township  a  company  of  patrollers,  or  "patter  rollers,"  as 
they  were  called,  for  one  year,  each  company  consisting  of 
a  captain  and  not  more  than  four  other  persons.  It  was 
their  duty  to  patrol  at  least  twelve  hours  each  month 
and  as  many  more  as  the  county  court  might  direct,  and 
to  visit  negro  quarters  and  other  places  suspected  of  un 
lawful  assemblies.  If  slaves  were  found  at  unlawful  as 
semblies,  the  patrol  might  give  them  not  more  than  ten 
lashes,  unless  the  owner  permitted  it,  but  the  justice  of 
the  peace  might  give  them  as  many  as  thirty-nine. 
Abolitionists  The  law  passed  in  1847  providing  that  "no  person  shall 
instruct  any  negroes  or  mulattoes  in  reading  or  writing 
in  this  State  under  penalty  of  $500,  or  not  more  than  six 
months'  imprisonment,  or  both,"  was  probably  inspired 
by  the  desire  to  neutralize  the  efforts  of  the  Abolitionists. 
There  was  a  fear  that  if  the  slaves  learned  to  read  they 
would  be  influenced  by  abolition  literature  that  was  be 
ing  very  freely  distributed,  and  would  attempt  to  rise  in 
rebellion  or  to  abscond.  In  spite  of  this  law,  however, 
many  masters  taught  their  slaves  how  to  read  and  write, 
though  the  majority  of  the  slaves  never  acquired  those 
accomplishments. 


i.  Law 
against 
Teaching 
Negroes 


SLAVERY  IN  MISSOURI 


297 


The  feeling  of  the  Missourians  toward  the  Abolitionists  2.  Law 
is  seen  very  clearly  in  the  law  that  was  passed  in  1837 
against  them.  This  law  subjected  to  fine  or  imprisonment 
any  person  who  should  "publicly  circulate  or  utter  by 
writing,  speaking,  or  printing  any  facts,  arguments, 
reasoning,  or  opinion  tending  to  excite  any  slave  or  slaves 
or  other  persons  of  color  to  rebellion,  sedition,  or  murder." 
For  the  first  offense  there  was  prescribed  a  fine  of  $1000 
and  imprisonment  for  not  more  than  two  years ;  for  the 
second  offense,  imprisonment  for  not  more  than  twenty 
years ;  and  for  the  third  offense,  imprisonment  for  life. 
There  are,  however,  no  records  of  prosecutions  under 
this  law,  but  public  sentiment  against  Abolitionists  forced 
several  persons  to  flee  from  the  State  because  they  had 
been  free  in  expressing  their  anti-slavery  views. 

The  most  noted  instances  of  Abolitionists  fleeing  from  3-  Lovejoy 
the  wrath  of  the  people  of  the  State  occurred,  however, 
before  the  above-mentioned  law  was 
passed.     Probably  the  Lovejoy  in 
cident  is  the  one  most  widely  known. 
Elijah  P.  Lovejoy  came  to  Missouri 
from    Maine   in    1827.      In   a   very 
short  time  he  began  writing  for  the 
newspapers  of  St.  Louis,  and  by  1833 
he  was  editing  a  religious  weekly  in 
that  city  called  the  5*.  Louis  Observer. 
In  1834  he  began  to  write  vigorous 
articles  against  slavery  which  aroused 
considerable    attention.       He    was 
urged  by  various  citizens  to  desist 
and    was    warned    that    his    course 
would  bring  him  into  deep  trouble. 
He  declined,  however,  to   change  his  course.     He  was 
about  as  pronounced   in   his  anti-Catholic  views  as   he 
was  in  his  anti-slavery  opinions.     Matters  were  brought 
to   a   crisis   by   his   severe   criticisms  of   the   mob   that 
lynched  a  mulatto  named  Frank   Mclntosh,  who  had 


ELIJAH  P.  LOVEJOY 

From  Nicolay  and  Hay's 
Lincoln. 


298 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


4.  Increased 
Bitterness 
toward 
Abolitionists 


Early  Eman 
cipation 
Movement 
in  Missouri 


stabbed  an  officer,  and  of  Judge  Lawless,  who  had 
upheld  the  mob.  So  great  was  the  opposition  aroused 
against  Love  joy  because  of  these  criticisms,  that  the 
man  who  had  been  furnishing  him  the  capital  with  which 
to  run  his  paper  decided  it  would  be  best  to  move  the  busi 
ness  to  Alton,  Illinois.  But  before  that  could  be  done,  a 
mob  broke  into  the  Observer  office  and  thoroughly  sacked 
it,  dumping  the  press  and  type  out  into  the  street.  No 
personal  violence  was  done  to  Lovejoy,  and  he  was  allowed 
to  go  on  to  Alton.  There  he  resumed  his  crusade  against 
slavery,  and  although  he  was  in  a  free  state  he  found  him 
self  bitterly  opposed  because  of  his  policies.  One  press 
after  another  was  destroyed,  and  it  was  while  he  was  de 
fending  a  third  one  that  he  was  shot  and  killed. 

As  the  abolition  movement  progressed,  Missourians 
became  more  and  more  intolerant  of  agitation  on  the 
subject  and  sought  more  and  more  to  suppress  it  alto 
gether.  This  is  seen  not  only  in  the  law  of  1837,  which 
has  already  been  outlined,  but  also  in  several  other  acts 
of  the  legislature  In  1839  a  resolution  condemning  the 
efforts  of  the  North  to  interfere  with  the  domestic  policy 
of  each  state  was  passed  by  the  legislature,  and  in  1841 
a  vote  of  approval  was  extended  by  that  body  to  Presi 
dent  Van  Buren  for  the  position  he  had  taken  in  the 
abolition  movement.  In  1845  the  constitutional  con 
vention,  which  had  been  convened  for  the  purpose  of 
drafting  a  new  constitution  for  the  State,  flatly  rejected 
the  only  petition  presented  to  it  on  the  subject  of 
abolition. 

There  had  been  from  early  times  a  certain  element  in 
the  State  that  opposed  slavery  and  favored  emancipation, 
but  it  was  not  always  active.  Very  few  people,  if  any, 
favored  immediate  emancipation  in  1820,  though  there 
were  many  who  stood  for  a  restriction  upon  the  further 
importation  of  slaves  either  at  once  or  later.  The  con 
stitution  of  1820,  however,  put  no  restriction  upon  the 
importation  of  slaves,  and  permitted  emancipation  of 


SLAVERY  IN  MISSOURI  299 

slaves  only  with  the  consent  of  the  owners  or  upon  pay 
ment  for  them. 

Much  has  been  made  of  the  story  that  a  movement 
was  under  way  during  the  twenties  that  gave  promise  of 
bringing  about  in  time  the  gradual  emancipation  of  all 
the  slaves  in  Missouri.  In  1828  there  occurred  a  secret  i.  Scheme 
meeting  of  a  number  of  prominent  men  representing  dif-  ° 
ferent  parts  of  the  State  and  consisting  of  about  an  equal 
number  of  Whigs  and  Democrats,  among  whom  were 
Senators  Benton  and  Barton  and  Honorable  John  Wilson. 
At  this  meeting  it  was  agreed  to  use  every  effort  to  secure 
the  passage  of  a  law  that  would  provide  for  the  gradual 
emancipation  of  all  the  slaves  in  Missouri.  To  this  end 
candidates  in  both  parties  were  to  be  canvassed  and 
pledged  in  its  favor,  and  everything  was  to  be  done  to  make 
the  matter  thoroughly  nonpar  tisan.  Unfortunately  for 
the  success  of  this  movement,  according  to  the  account 
of  Mr.  Wilson,  who  is  our  only  source  of  information  on 
the  matter,  just  as  the  above-mentioned  plans  were  taking 
shape,  a  statement  was  published  in  the  newspapers  that 
Arthur  Tappan  of  New  York,  one  of  the  leading  Abolition 
ists  of  the  time,  had  entertained  at  his  private  table  some 
negro  men  ;  that  in  fact  these  negroes  had  ridden  in  his 
private  carriage  with  his  daughters.  This  may  or  may 
not  have  been  true,  but  it  was  accepted  as  true  by  Mis- 
sourians,  and  it  enraged  them  so  that  those  who  had  been 
planning  to  inaugurate  a  nonpartisan  movement  for  the 
emancipation  of  slaves  did  not  dare  to  start  it. 

Whether  such  a  movement  would  have  succeeded  if  it   2.  Missouri 


had  ever  been  publicly  launched  is,  of  course,  more  or  ^ 


less  problematical.     The  one  big  item  in  all  emancipation  Society,  1839 

schemes  that  loomed  large  and  made  Missourians  pause 

was  the  free  negro.     As  we  shall  see  in  a  moment,  there 

was  more  anxiety  and  concern  about  the  free  negro  than 

about  the  slave.     If  the  slaves  were  freed  and  allowed  to 

remain  in  the  State,  the  problem  of  controlling  the  free 

blacks  was  considered  a  very  serious  one,  and  as  the 


300 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.  Manu 
mission  of 
Slaves  by 
Individual 
Masters 


Free 
Negroes 


i.  Constitu 
tional 
Provision 
concerning 
Free  Negroes 


abolitionist  movement  grew,  the  mass  of  slave  owners 
in  Missouri  drew  back  from  the  idea  of  emancipation, 
especially  if  the  free  blacks  were  to  remain.  Emancipa 
tion  in  large  numbers  commended  itself  to  Missourians 
only  as  it  included  the  removal  of  the  freed  slaves  from 
the  State,  but  the  colonization  movement  was  never  de 
veloped  to  any  great  extent.  The  Missouri  State  Colo 
nization  Society  was  not  organized  until  1839,  and  it  never 
became  very  active  in  the  State.  It  is  to  be  noted,  how 
ever,  that  those  who  were  interested  in  it  were  slaveholders 
and  not  Abolitionists. 

Although  the  emancipation  movement  failed  to  develop 
in  Missouri,  it  was  always  possible  for  individual  owners 
to  free  their  slaves  whenever  they  saw  fit.  But  since 
every  slave  on  being  freed  added  to  the  seriousness  of  the 
problem  of  the  free  negroes,  "the  power  of  the  slave  owner 
to  manumit  his  slave  was  considered  a  privilege  rather 
than  a  right,"  and  "the  freeing  of  slaves  was  tolerated 
but  not  welcomed."  The  number  of  slaves  that  were 
given  their  freedom  was  not  large  except  in  St.  Louis. 
During  the  decade  preceding  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War,  the  Germans  began  to  settle  in  large  numbers  in 
that  city,  and  they  soon  began  to  exert  considerable  in 
fluence.  Although  some  of  the  Germans  in  St.  Louis 
held  slaves,  most  of  them  were  decidedly  opposed  to 
slavery  and  did  their  part  in  the  abolition  agitation. 

As  has  been  suggested,  the  free  negroes  constituted  a 
problem  that  caused  the  Missourians  more  concern  than 
the  slaves.  It  was  not,  however,  until  1820  that  there 
was  any  sign  of  uneasiness  about  the  free  negro.  But  it  is 
evident  that  when  this  uneasiness  did  appear,  it  was  gen 
uine  and  not  assumed.  The  hostile  attitude  of  the  Mis 
sourians  toward  the  free  negro  is  seen  in  that  section  of 
the  constitution  of  1820  which  provided  that  it  should  be 
the  duty  of  the  legislature  to  pass  such  laws  as  would 
prevent  free  negroes  and  mulattoes  from  coming  into  and 
settling  in  the  State,  and  which,  it  will  be  recalled,  occa- 


SLAVERY  IN  MISSOURI  301 

sioned  the  delay  of  Missouri's  admission  into  the  Union 
for  more  than  a  year. 

This  hostility  to  the  free  negroes  in  1820  was  not  due  2.  Fear  of 
to  their  large  number,  for  there  were  at  that  time  only  jjj&eue* 
347  out  of  a  total  population  of  66, 557. 1  It  was  due 
rather  to  a  fear  that  they  would  rapidly  increase  in 
number  and  would  therefore  tend  to  weaken  the  sta 
bility  of  the  institution  of  slavery.  There  was  not  only 
the  prospect  that  the  mere  presence  of  free  negroes  would 
serve  to  make  the  slaves  discontented,  but  there  was  the 
probability  that  they  might  be  used  by  designing  persons 
to  stir  up  rebellion  and  insubordination  on  the  part  of 
the  slaves.  For  these  reasons  laws  which  aimed  to  put 
the  free  negroes  under  ready  control  were  passed  from 
time  to  time. 

It  was  not,  however,  until  1835  that  the  Free  Negro  3-  Free 
Code  was  fully  elaborated.  The  chief  feature  of  this  code  Code°i83 
was  the  license  that  was  required  of  the  free  negro  or 
mulatto.  No  free  negro  or  mulatto,  other  than  a  citizen 
of  some  State,  was  permitted  to  reside  in  Missouri  unless 
he  obtained  a  license  from  some  county  court.  Severe 
penalties  were  assessed  for  failure  to  comply  with  this  law. 
Likewise  persons  employing  or  harboring  free  negroes 
or  mulattoes,  who  were  not  entitled  to  remain  in  the 
State,  were  heavily  fined.  Free  negroes  and  mulattoes 
between  the  ages  of  seven  and  twenty  were  hired  out  by 
the  county  courts  as  apprentices  until  they  were  twenty- 
one. 

In  1843  a  drastic  law  was  passed  which  was  intended  to  4-  Later 
restrict  the  immigration  of  free  negroes  into  Missouri. 
Excepting  free  negroes  who  were  natives  of  the  State  or  who 
had  been  residents  of  the  State  since  1840,  and  excepting 
those  who  were  citizens  of  another  state,  no  free  negroes 
were  permitted  to  come  into  or  remain  in  the  State,  and 
strict  regulations  were  provided  to  insure  the  enforcement 

1  The  free  negro  population  never  became  large  in  Missouri,  as 
will  be  seen  by  consulting  the  table  in  footnote  I  of  this  chapter. 


302  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

of  this  law.  It  was  also  provided  that  all  slaves  entitled 
to  freedom  at  some  future  date  were  not  allowed  to  come 
into  the  State. 

In  1847  free  negroes  and  mulattoes  were  prohibited 
from  coming  into  Missouri  under  any  conditions  whatso 
ever.  This  law  was  in  direct  violation  of  the  solemn 
public  act  of  the  legislature  that  was  imposed  in  1820 
by  Congress  as  a  prerequisite  for  the  admission  of  the 
State  into  the  Union.  But  that  this  act  ever  had  any 
legal  binding  effect  on  the  legislature  of  Missouri,  no  one 
ever  believed.  It  is  somewhat  to  the  credit  of  Missouri, 
however,  that  a  law  prohibiting  the  immigration  of  free 
negroes  was  not  passed  much  earlier.1 

In  1859  the  legislature  attempted  to  put  the  cap  sheaf 
upon  the  free  negro  legislation  by  passing  a  bill  providing 
among  other  things  that  the  only  trial  which  a  free  negro 
who  had  migrated  to  and  settled  in  the  State  since  1847 
might  have  was  a  summary  examination  before  some 
judicial  officer,  and  the  presumption  was  that  every  free 
negro  or  mulatto  arrested  for  any  crime  or  misdemeanor 
should  be  considered  as  having  come  into  the  State  since 
1847,  unless  he  could  prove  to  the  officer  before  whom  he 
was  arraigned  that  he  had  come  in  prior  to  that  date. 
This  bill  was  vetoed  by  Governor  Stewart,  and  on  being 
reenacted  by  the  legislature  at  its  next  session,  was  vetoed 
by  him  a  second  time.  Thus  Missouri  was  saved  from 
a  very  disgraceful  act. 

REFERENCES 

Trexler,  Slavery  in  Missouri  from  1821  to  1865.  The  only  real 
authority  on  the  subject.  Special  attention  has  been  given  to  the 
economic  and  social  phases  of  slavery  in  Missouri.  Used  very 
extensively  by  the  author  of  this  book  in  the  preparation  of  this 
chapter.  Trexler,  "Slavery  in  the  Missouri  Territory,"  in  the 
Missouri  Historical  Review  for  April,  1909,  pp.  179-197.  The  au- 

1  This  law  of  1847  also  forbade  anyone  to  teach  negroes  or  mu 
lattoes  to  read  and  write. 


SLAVERY  IN  MISSOURI  303 

thor's  first  article  on  the  subject  which  he  developed  in  the  work 
first  mentioned.  Trexler,  "The  Value  and  Sale  of  the  Missouri 
Slave,"  in  the  Missouri  Historical  Review,  for  January,  1914,  pp.  69- 
85.  An  adaptation  of  one  of  the  chapters  of  the  author's  book. 
Encyclopedia  of  the  History  of  Missouri,  vol.  v,  pp.  598-606 ;  ii, 
pp.  375-376.  Two  short  articles  on  "Slavery"  and .  "  Emancipa 
tion  "  in  Missouri.  Violette,  "The  Black  Code  in  Missouri,"  in 
the  Proceedings  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  Historical  Association  for 
1912-13,  pp.  287-316.  A  study  of  the  legal  phase  of  the  subject 
from  earliest  times  to  1865. 


CHAPTER   XIV 
KANSAS   BORDER   TROUBLES,    1855-60 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  Kansas-Nebraska  Act  of  1854.] 

FROM  1855  to  1860  western  Missouri  was  involved  in 
an  almost  continuous  warfare  with  Kansas.  This  trouble 
grew  out  of  the  question  of  slavery  in  the  territories  of 
Kansas  and  Nebraska  that  had  been  created  by  Congress 
in  1854.  In  order  that  we  may  understand  how  this 
trouble  arose,  a  few  words  of  explanation  setting  forth 
the  historical  situation  must  be  given. 
Region  First  of  all,  a  glance  at  the  map  of  the  United  States 

Mississippi     west  of  the  MississiPpi  River  in  1850  needs  to  be  taken. 

in  1850  By  that  time  six  states  had  been  created  in  this  region 
and  added  to  the  Union.  Four  of  these  (Louisiana,  Arkan 
sas,  Missouri  and  Texas)  were  slave  states  and  two  (Cali 
fornia  and  Iowa)  were  free.  Four  territories  had  been 
organized,  two  of  which  (Oregon  and  Minnesota)  were 
free,  and  two  (New  Mexico  and  Utah)  were  open  to  slavery. 
Between  the  states  of  Arkansas,  Missouri,  and  Iowa  and 
the  Territory  of  Minnesota  on  the  one  hand,  and  the 
Rockies  on  the  other,  was  a  vast  stretch  of  country  which 
had  been  given  over  to  the  Indians  and  was  as  yet  un 
organized.  Only  a  small  portion  of  it  was  open  to  slavery, 
the  Missouri  Compromise  of  1820  having  provided  for 
the  exclusion  of  slavery  in  this  section  above  36°  30'. 
Inasmuch  as  there  was  only  the  most  remote  probability 
that  slavery  would  be  established  in  either  New  Mexico 
or  Utah,  it  can  be  seen  that  the  only  real  chance  that 
slavery  had  for  expansion  in  the  West  after  1850  was  in 
that  portion  of  the  unorganized  territory  that  lay  south 

304 


KANSAS   BORDER  TROUBLES  305 

of  36°  30',  which  is  now  known  as  Oklahoma.  That 
this  should  be  the  cause  for  considerable  anxiety  on  the 
part  of  the  South  is  easily  understood. 

Meanwhile,  the  people  of  Missouri  were  beginning  in  interest  of 
a  number  of  ways  to  urge  Congress  to  open  up  for  ^^©"en8 
settlement  the  region  directly  west  of  the  State.  The  ing  Up  of  the 
first  expression  on  the  subject  came  from  the  legislature 
when  in  1847  it  memorialized  Congress  to  extinguish  the 
Indian  titles  to  this  western  country  and  to  provide  for 
its  territorial  organization.  The  next  expression  came 
from  mass  meetings  of  citizens,  most  of  which  were  held 
in  the  western  part  of  the  State.  In  June,  1852,  the 
citizens  of  Parkville,  Platte  County,  met  in  a  public  meet 
ing  and  adopted  a  resolution  asking  Congress  to  organize  i.  Petitions 
immediately  the  Territory  of  Nebraska  and  to  provide  for  to  Congress 
the  right  of  settlement  therein  as  soon  as  the  Indian 
titles  should  be  extinguished.  In  November,  1853,  a 
mass  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Andrew  County  was  held 
in  Savannah  and  resolutions  of  a  similar  character  were 
passed.  In  December  of  that  year  the  people  of  St. 
Joseph  met  and  adopted  a  set  of  resolutions  approving 
the  Hall  bill  for  the  organization  of  the  Territory  of  Ne 
braska  and  condemning  those  who  had  prevented  its 
passage.  In  January,  1854,  a  Nebraska  convention  was 
held  at  St.  Joseph  in  response  to  a  call  for  "a  general 
convention  of  all  the  friends  of  Nebraska"  and  passed  a 
long  set  of  resolutions,  most  of  which  were  the  same  as 
those  of  Andrew  County.  At  about  the  same  time 
"the  friends  of  Nebraska"  of  St.  Louis  County  assembled 
in  St.  Louis  and  declared  in  favor  of  a  territorial  govern 
ment  for  Nebraska  and  denounced  all  those  who  opposed 
it  as  being  hostile  to  the  best  interests  of  the  State.1 

1  So  important  had  the  question  become  in  Missouri  that  it  had 
injected  itself  into  the  contest  that  was  waged  in  the  State  in  1853- 
54  for  Atchison's  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate.  Benton  had 
been  defeated  for  reelection  to  that  body  in  1850,  and  he  aspired 
to  return  to  it  by  succeeding  Atchison,  who  came  up  for  reelection 


306 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Desire  for 
Cheap  Lands 


Kansas- 
Nebraska 
Act,  1854 


i.  Delay  of 

Congress 


The  interest  of  Missourians  in  having  this  territory 
£  ^hem  opened  up  for  settlement  was  due  primarily 
to  the  desire  for  more  cheap  land.  Missouri  was  not 
yet  by  any  means  thickly  populated,  but  it  was  filling 
up,  especially  so  on  the  western  border.  And  the  set 
tlers  who,  in  their  migrations  across  the  country,  had 
been  stopped  at  the  western  border  of  Missouri  because 
the  territory  beyond  was  not  yet  open  for  settlement, 
were  showing  signs  of  defying  the  Government  and 
crossing  over  into  Nebraska.  As  Senator  Atchison  said 
in  1853,  "There  is  a  large  portion  of  our  population  who 
are  ready  and  anxious  to  abandon  their  homes  to  go  into 
this  territory  ;  you  cannot  restrain  them  much  longer." 

Notwithstanding  this  pressure  which  Missourians  were 
bringing  to  bear  upon  the  Nebraska  question,  Congress 
was  slow  to  respond.  In  December,  1851,  Willard  P. 
Hall  of  Missouri  introduced  a  bill  into  Congress  providing 
for  the  reorganization  of  the  region  including  what  is  now 
Kansas  and  Nebraska,  and  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of 
Platte.  Failing  to  get  it  considered  at  that  session,  he 
re-introduced  the  bill  in  December,  1852,  with  the  name 
of  the  territory  changed  from  Platte  to  Nebraska.  But 
the  bill  met  the  same  fate  as  before. 

Congress  had  two  reasons  for  delaying  action  in  the 
matter.  In  the  first  place,  the  Nebraska  country  had 
been  turned  over  to  the  Indians  during  Jackson's  ad 
ministration,  and  it  was  not  deemed  right  to  force  them  to 
go  away.  In  the  second  place,  the  Missouri  Compromise 
had  dedicated  this  territory  to  freedom,  and  if  new  states 
were  created  out  of  it  they  would  be  free  states,  and  thus 
the  inequality  between  the  South  and  the  North  in  the 
United  States  Senate,  which  had  been  brought  on  by  the 
admission  of  California  in  1850,  would  be  considerably 

in  1854.  The  campaign  began  early  in  1853  and  involved  from 
the  start  the  Nebraska  question.  Benton  and  Atchison  main 
tained  different  views  on  certain  phases  of  this  question  and  be 
labored  each  other  considerably  over  them. 


KANSAS  BORDER  TROUBLES 


307 


increased.  As  has  been  said,  there  was  only  a  small 
portion  of  this  unorganized  territory  that  was  at  all  likely 
to  become  slave  territory,  and  hence  Congress  was  re 
luctant  to  accede  to  these  demands  of  Missouri  that  the 
Nebraska  Territory  should  be  opened  up  for  settlement. 
It  should  be  mentioned,  however,  that  in  nearly  all  the 
Nebraska  resolutions  adopted  by  mass  meetings  in  Mis 
souri  and  addressed  to  Congress,  the  principle  was  clearly 
set  forth  that  the  question  of  slavery  should  be  settled 
by  the  people  of  the  territories  themselves.  This  was,  of 
course,  in  violation  of  the  Missouri  Compromise,  and 
Congress  hesitated  to  take  any  action  that  pointed  in 
that  direction. 

Finally  Congress  passed  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Act  in  2.  Passage  of 
May,  1854.  This  created  two  new  territories,  Kansas  thel 
and  Nebraska, 
with  the  pro 
vision  that  the 
people  living 
therein  should 
determine  as 
to  whether  or 
not  slavery 
should  exist  in 
them,  thus  re 
pealing  the 
old  Missouri 
Compromise. 
Few  other 
Acts  have  had 
as  far-reach 
ing  conse 
quences  in  our 

history  as  this  one.  According  to  some  it  has  been 
regarded  as  the  "greatest  error"  which  Congress  ever 
committed.  Whether  that  is  so  or  not,  it  is  certain  that 
thereafter  the  country  drifted  rapidly  toward  civil  war. 


less 
c      V-V.KI*-      Gulfof 

-       O     VV^  Mexico 


MAP  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  WEST  OF  THE  MIS 
SISSIPPI     RlVER    JUST    AFTER    THE    PASSAGE    OF 

THE  KANSAS-NEBRASKA  ACT  IN  1854 


308  HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 

Rush  to  It  was  generally  understood  throughout  the  country 

in  1854,  when  the  Kansas-Nebraska  bill  was  passed,  that 
Kansas  would  be  settled  by  people  from  Missouri  and 
the  South,  and  would  therefore  become  a  slave  territory 
and  ultimately  a  slave  state,  and  that  Nebraska  would 
be  settled  by  people  from  the  North  and  would  become 
free.  From  the  outset,  therefore,  Missourians  made 
certain  claims  as  to  their  rights  to  settle  Kansas,  and 
they  became  very  resentful  later  when  attempts  were 
made  to  challenge  those  claims. 

i.  From  Missourians,  especially  those  on  the  western  border, 

had  special  reasons  for  being  interested  in  the  establish 
ment  of  slavery  in  Kansas.  Missouri  was  bordered  on 
the  east  and  north  by  free  states,  and  slave  owners  along 
the  eastern  and  northern  borders  of  the  State  were  in 
constant  danger  of  having  their  slaves  escape  into  free 
territory.  If  Kansas  should  become  free,  that  would 
expose  Missouri  to  the  same  danger  on  a  third  side.  There 
were  nearly  50,000  slaves  in  western  Missouri  in  1854, 
worth  about  $25,000,000.  Free  Kansas  would,  therefore, 
jeopardize  slavery  in  that  part  of  the  State  and  would  add 
to  the  general  weakening  of  the  institution  throughout 
the  entire  State.  For  these  reasons  the  majority  of  Mis 
sourians  were  interested  in  having  Kansas  become  a  slave 
territory,  and  just  as  soon  as  President  Pierce  signed  the 
Kansas-Nebraska  bill  large  numbers  of  them  rushed  into 
Kansas  and  seized  upon  extensive  tracts  of  the  best  lands.1 
Settlers  were  required  by  the  preemption  laws  of  the  time 
to  erect  cabins  and  to  be  in  actual  residence  for  a  given 
period  of  time  if  they  were  to  acquire  a  title  to  their  claims. 
But  many  of  these  Missourians  did  nothing  more  on  their 
Kansas  claims  than  "notch  a  few  trees  and  arrange  a 
half  dozen  rails  upon  the  ground  and  call  it  a  cabin,  or 

1  The  white  inhabitants  of  Kansas  Territory  at  the  time  of  its 
organization  consisted  of  nearly  700  soldiers  and  army  attache's, 
and  perhaps  as  many  civilians  living  at  the  missions  and  trading 
posts  in  the  Territory. 


KANSAS  BORDER  TROUBLES          309 

post  a  scrawl  claiming  proprietorship  and  threatening  to 
shoot  intermeddlers  at  sight." 

Many  Missourians,  however,  became  bona  fide  settlers 
and  several  little  pro-slavery  towns  were  soon  estab 
lished,  such  as  Kickapoo,  Atchison,  Leavenworth,  and 
Lecompton.  All  these  towns  but  the  last  named  were 
situated  on  or  near  the  Missouri  River  northwest  of  what 
is  now  Kansas  City. 

The  advent  of  Missourians  into  Kansas  was  soon  fol-  2.  From  the 
lowed  by  Northern  immigrants,  some  of  whom  came  ast 
because  they  wanted  to  get  into  a  new  country.  But 
most  of  -them  came  because  of  their  interest  in  making 
Kansas  a  free  territory  and  state,  and  many  of  these 
had  been  sent  to  Kansas  by  certain  anti-slavery  socie 
ties  in  New  England.  The  most  important  and  active, 
perhaps,  of  these  societies  was  the  New  England  Emigrant 
Aid  Company,  which  was  directed  largely  by  Eli  Thayer 
and  Amos  Lawrence,  both  of  Massachusetts.  The  com 
pany  offered  considerable  assistance  to  all  who  would  go 
to  Kansas  under  its  auspices,  in  return  for  which  it  was 
informally  understood  that  their  influence  would  be 
against  slavery  in  Kansas.  In  1854,  750  colonists  were 
sent  out  by  this  company,  and  in  the  following  year  635 
were  sent  out.  Not  all  of  these  stayed,  however.  Many 
of  them  became  disgusted  with  the  hardships  of  pioneer 
life  and  returned  to  their  old  homes  in  New  England. 
As  a  result  of  this  colonizing  effort  several  anti-slavery 
towns  sprang  up  in  Kansas,  among  which  were  Hampden, 
Wabaunsee,  Ossawotamie,  Manhattan,  Topeka,  and 
Lawrence,  all  of  which  were  situated  west  or  southwest 
of  what  is  now  Kansas  City. 

"During  the  early  summer  of   1854  exaggerated  and  Attitude  of 
false  reports  in  regard  to  the  character,  purposes,  and  fr^udim* 
means   of  the   proposed   Emigrant   Aid   Company  were  migration  to 
circulated  through   Missouri  and  the  entire   South.     It 
was  said  that  an  organization  chartered  by  the  legislature 
of    Massachusetts  and    possessing    immense  capital  was 


3io 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


i.  As  Shown 
by  News 
papers 


preparing  to  abolitionize  Kansas  by  means  of  military 
colonies,  recruited  from  the  slums  of  Eastern  cities  and 
planted  in  Kansas  with  all  the  munitions  of  war,  to  be 
used  not  only  when  necessary  for  their  own  defense  but 
for  keeping  out  immigrants  from  the  South." 

Many  of  the  newspapers  of  Missouri  were  full  of  these 
reports  and  were  advising  the  people  of  the  State  to  join 
one  another  in  resisting  by  force  this  proposed  colonization 
of  Kansas  by  Easterners.  The  Democratic  Platform  of 
Liberty,  Missouri,  said:  "Let  every  man  that  owns  a 
negro  go  to  Kansas  and  settle  and  our  Northern  brethren 
will  be  compelled  to  hunt  further  north  for  a  location." 
In  another  issue  this  same  paper  said  :  ' '  We  are  in  favor 
of  making  Kansas  a  slave  state  if  it  should  require  half 
of  the  citizens  of  Missouri,  musket  in  hand,  to  emigrate 
there,  and  even  sacrifice  their  lives  in  accomplishing  so 
desirable  an  end."  In  a  still  later  issue  it  said  :  "Shall  we 
allow  such  cutthroats  and  murderers  as  the  people  of 
Massachusetts  are  to  settle  in  the  territory  adjoining  our 
own  State  ?  NO !  If  popular  opinion  will  not  keep 
them  back,  we  should  see  what  virtue  there  is  in  favor 
of  arms." 

The  Argus  of  Platte  City  said:  "The  Abolitionists 
will  probably  not  be  interrupted  if  they  settle  north  of 
the  fortieth  parallel  of  north  latitude,  but  south  of  that 
line  and  in  Kansas  Territory  they  need  not  set  foot.  It 
is  decreed  by  the  people  who  live  adjacent  that  their 
institutions  are  to  be  established,  and  candor  compels 
us  to  advise  accordingly." 

The  Industrial  Luminary  of  Parkville  said:  "We 
hope  fanatico-political  combinations  will  be  kept  out  of 
the  new  country,  especially  such  as  we  read  of  being 
formed  in  some  of  the  Eastern  states.  American  freemen 
are  wanted  —  not  mercenary  tools  of  furious  demagogues 
from  either  the  South  or  North." 

The  Squatter  Sovereign,  which  was  published  at  Atchison, 
Kansas,  advised  that  the  emigrants  who  were  being  armed 


KANSAS   BORDER  TROUBLES  311 

and  sent  out  by  the  Aid  Societies  should  be  met  with 
weapons  of  their  own  choice  and  kept  out  of  Kansas. 

Mass  meetings  were  held  at  several  different  points  in  2.  As  Shown 
western  Missouri  during  1854  and  resolutions  were  5?  t"*8* 
adopted  expressing  hostile  views  upon  the  contemplated 
colonizing  schemes  of  the  Eastern  companies.  At  West- 
port  it  was  resolved  "that  we  will  carry  with  us  into  the 
new  territory  of  Kansas  every  species  of  property,  in 
cluding  slaves,  and  that  we  will  hold  and  enjoy  the  same. 
That  we  desire  to  do  so  peacefully  and  deprecate  any 
necessity  for  resorting  to  violence  in  support  of  our  just 
and  lawful  rights.  Yet  apprehensive  of  interference  with 
our  private  and  domestic  concerns  by  certain  organized 
bands  who  are  to  be  precipitated  upon  us,  we  notify  all 
such  that  our  purpose  is  firm  to  enjoy  our  rights  and  to 
meet  with  the  last  argument  all  who  shall  in  any  way  in 
fringe  upon  them."  At  Independence  it  was  declared 
that  "we,  the  South,  should  be  permitted  peaceably  to 
possess  Kansas,  while  the  North,  on  the  same  privilege, 
be  permitted  to  possess  Nebraska  Territory." 

These  newspaper  expressions  and  resolutions  fairly  rep 
resented  the  attitude  of  the  majority  of  the  people  of 
Missouri  at  the  time.  Most  of  them  felt  that  Kansas 
had  been  intended  for  the  South  and  slavery,  and  that 
Nebraska  had  been  intended  for  the  North  and  freedom, 
and  they  were  united  on  the  proposition  that  "any  at 
tempt  on  the  part  of  the  North  to  make  Kansas  a  non- 
slaveholding  territory  is  a  breach  of  faith  which  ought 
to  be  resisted  by  the  South  and  especially  by  Missouri." 

That  the  Missourians  intended  from  the  outset  to  act  Missouri 
in   accordance   with   their   views   on   the   settlement   of  Associations 
Kansas  is  seen  in  the  organizations  which  they  effected 
during  1854.     In  June  of  that  year  the  Missourians  who 
had  rushed  into  the  Territory  and  had  squatted  upon 
claims  near  Salt  Creek  Valley,  a  trading  post  three  miles 
west  of  Fort  Leavenworth,  organized  a  Squatters'  Claim 
Association  whose   purpose  was  to   "  secure   safety  and 


3I2 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


fairness  in  the  location  and  preservation  of  claims."  It 
is  obvious  what  means  would  be  employed  by  such  an 
association  to  secure  what  it  considered  as  its  rights. 

In  July  there  was  established  the  Platte  County  Self 
Defensive  Association,  the  most  remarkable  and  for 
midable  of  all  the  organizations  that  were  created  for  the 
purpose  of  controlling  the  settlement  of  Kansas.  This 
association  declared  that  it  would  "  whenever  called  upon 
by  any  of  the  citizens  of  Kansas  Territory  hold  itself  in 
readiness  to  assist  in  removing  any  and  all  emigrants 
who  go  there  under  the  auspices  of  the  Northern  Emigrant 
Aid  Societies,"  and  it  recommended  to  the  other  counties, 
particularly  those  bordering  on  Kansas  Territory,  to  adopt 
regulations  similar  to  those  it  had  drawn  up,  and  to  indi 
cate  their  readiness  to  cooperate  in  resisting  Northern 
immigration  into  Kansas.  This  association,  however, 
overshot  the  mark  in  the  vigor  with  which  it  attempted 
to  regulate  local  affairs  at  Weston,  where  it  had  been  or 
ganized,  and  it  was  compelled  to  dissolve  itself  very 
shortly. 

Numerous  secret  lodges  were  thereupon  organized  in 
the  northern  and  central  counties  for  the  purpose  of  ex 
tending  slavery  not  only  into  Kansas  but  also  into  other 
territories.  They  went  under  various  names,  such  as 
"Social  Bands,"  " Friends  of  Society,"  "Sons  of  the 
South,"  and  "  Blue  Lodges."  They  were  generally  known 
by  the  last  name.  Under  their  control  there  were  from 
five  to  ten  thousand  persons,  "mostly  desperate  char 
acters,"  who  were  ready  to  invade  Kansas  to  protect 
pro-slavery  men  and  to  drive  out,  if  need  be,  those  who 
opposed  slavery. 

It  was  inevitable  that  trouble  should  ensue  between 
Missourians    and   the   emigrants   from    the   free    states. 
The  first  occasion  for  a  demonstration  on  the  part  of  the 
i.  Territorial   Blue  Lodges  of  Missouri  was  the  election  of  a  territorial 
Delegate         delegate  from   Kansas   to   Congress.     This  occurred   on 
November  29,  1854.     On  that  day  1729  Missourians  in- 


Missourians 
at  the 
Kansas 
Elections 


KANSAS  BORDER  TROUBLES         313 

vaded  the  different  election  districts  of  Kansas  and  voted 
for  Whitfield,  the  pro-slavery  candidate,  who  was  of 
course  elected.  It  seems  very  evident  that  Whitfield 
would  have  been  elected  without  the  vote  of  the  Mis- 
sourians,  for  at  that  time  the  pro-slavery  settlers  in 
Kansas  outnumbered  the  anti-slavery  settlers  consider 
ably.1  Notwithstanding  the  wail  of  indignation  that  went 
up  all  over  the  North  regarding  this  election,  Whitfield 
was  allowed  to  take  his  seat  as  a  delegate  to  Congress. 

But  more  important  than  this  election  was  the  one  2.  Territorial 
held  for  the  territorial  legislature,  which  was  set  for  March  Le£lslature 
13,  1855.  A  census  of  Kansas  had  been  taken  in  Febru 
ary  of  that  year,  and  it  had  been  found  that  there  were 
8600  people  in  the  territory,  of  whom  2905  were  eligible 
to  vote.  When  the  polls  were  closed  on  election  day, 
6307  votes  had  been  cast.  On  that  day  between  four 
and  five  thousand  Missourians  marched,  fully  armed, 
across  the  border  and  compelled  the  election  judges  to 
receive  their  ballots.  Some  of  the  Missourians  pretended 
to  be  residents  of  the  Territory,  but  in  the  case  of  most  of 
them  there  was  no  attempt  to  disguise  the  fact  that  they 
were  Missourians.  "They  came  in  companies  with 
music  and  banners";  they  came  "with  guns  upon  their 
shoulders,  revolvers  stuffing  their  belts,  bowie  knives  pro 
truding  from  their  boot-tops,  and  generous  rations  of 
whiskey  in  their  wagons."  They  justified  what  they 
did  on  the  ground  that  the  Emigrant  Aid  Company  had 
sent  voters  by  the  hundreds  all  the  way  from  New  Eng 
land  to  vote,  and  that,  therefore,  they  had  as  much  right 
to  do  the  same  for  themselves. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  these  election  invasions  of 
Kansas  were  popular  in  western  Missouri.  A  few  persons 
there  protested  against  them,  but  they  generally  found 
themselves  proscribed  for  their  frankness,  and  sometimes 
they  were  very  harshly  treated.  The  editors  of  the  Indus 
trial  Luminary,  a  newspaper  published  at  Parkville,  raised 

1  Whitfield  received  2258  votes  out  of  the  2833  that  were  cast. 


3*4 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.  David 
Atchison, 
Leader  of 
the  Mis- 
sourians 


the  question  in  a  mild  sort  of  way  as  to  whether  it  was  ex 
pedient  to  force  slavery  on  Kansas,  and  their  press  was  at 
once  destroyed  by  a  mob,  and  they  were  forced  to  leave 
the  place. 

The  leader  of  these  election  invasions  of  Missourians  into 
Kansas  was  none  other  than  David  Atchison.  At  the 
time  of  the  first  invasion  he  was  still  United  States  Senator 
from  Missouri.  From  the  moment  it  became  known  that 

men  from  New  England  were 
coming  to  Kansas  to  make 
it  free,  he  began  to  advocate 
counter  action  on  the  part 
of  the  people  of  Missouri. 
At  the  time  the  Platte 
County  Association  was  or 
ganized  he  was  reported  as 
saying : 

"The  people  of  Kansas  in 
their  first  election  will  decide 
the  question  as  to  whether 
or  not  the  slaveholder  is  to 
be  excluded,  and  the  matter 
depends  upon  a  majority  of 
the  votes  cast  at  the  polls. 
Now  if  a  set  of  fanatics  and 
demagogues  1000  miles  off 
can  advance  their  money  and 
exert  every  nerve  to  abolitionize  the  Territory  and  ex 
clude  the  slaveholder  when  they  have  not  the  least  per 
sonal  interest  in  the  matter,  what  is  your  duty?  When 
you  reside  within  one  day's  journey  of  the  Territory,  and 
when  your  peace,  your  quiet,  and  your  property  depend 
on  your  action,  you  can  without  any  exertion  send  500 
of  your  young  men  who  will  vote  in  favor  of  your  institu 
tions.  Should  each  county  in  the  State  of  Missouri  only 
do  its  duty,  the  question  will  be  decided  peaceably  at  the 
ballot  box.  If  we  are  defeated,  then  Missouri  and  the 


DAVID  B.  ATCHISON 

United  States  Senator  from  Missouri 
From  Nicolay  and  Hay's  Lincoln. 


KANSAS  BORDER  TROUBLES          31$ 

other  Southern  states  will  have  shown  themselves  recreant 
to  their  interests  and  will  have  deserved  their  fate." 

Besides  Senator  Atchison  several  other  notable  Mis- 
sourians,  including  ex- Attorney  General  Stringfellow, 
Colonel  Sam  Young,  Claiborne  Jackson,  James  M. 
Burns,  and  others,  figured  prominently  in  the  raids  across 
the  border  in  the  Kansas  Territory  days  ;  but  "  Atchison 
was  the  master  spirit  of  these  demonstrations." 

The  territorial  governor  of  Kansas  was  aware  of  what  4.  NewElec- 
had  happened  at  the  election  of  the  territorial  legislature  SJJSriS/1* 
and  called  for  protests.  Only  six  districts,  however, 
responded.  And  as  the  governor  took  the  ground  that 
he  could  interfere  only  where  protests  were  properly 
made,  he  declined  to  declare  the  election  invalid  except 
in  those  six  districts  from  which  protests  came.  New 
elections  were  ordered  in  these  six  districts  and  anti-slavery 
candidates  were  elected  in  each  of  them,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  the  pro-slavery  voters  ignored  the  election  and 
stayed  away  from  the  polls.  The  candidates  elected  at 
this  special  election  were  never  allowed,  however,  to  take 
their  seats.  The  territorial  legislature  was  completely 
controlled  by  pro-slavery  men,  and  it  promptly  declared 
the  candidates  elected  in  these  six  districts  at  the  first 
election  as  being  entitled  to  seats  in  the  legislature. 

As  might  be  expected,  the  legislature  that  was  elected  Contest 
by  the  Missourians  legalized  slavery  in  Kansas  and  en-  Territorial6 
acted  some  very  drastic  laws  protecting  the  institution  and  Free 
in  that  Territory. 

Of  course  the  anti-slavery  element  in  Kansas  felt  out-  Kansas 
raged  at  this  travesty  on  popular  government  and  pro 
ceeded  to  set  up  a  free  state  government.  A  constitution, 
known  as  the  Topeka  constitution,  was  drafted  and  was 
adopted  in  December,  1855,  by  a  vote  which  was  confined 
to  the  anti-slavery  men  altogether,  the  pro-slavery  men 
taking  no  part  whatsoever  in  the  voting.  A  short  time 
afterward,  the  anti-slavery  people  petitioned  Congress 
for  the  admission  of  Kansas  into  the  Union  as  a  free  state 


3i6 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


Invasions  of 
Kansas  by 
"  Border 
Ruffians  " 


i .  Sacking  of 
Lawrence 


under  the  Topeka  constitution.  Congress  refused,  how 
ever,  to  grant  the  petition. 

There  were  thus  two  governments  in  Kansas :  one  had 
been  elected  by  the  Missourians,  but  was,  strangely 
enough,  "  legal "  ;  the  other  had  been  set  up  by  the  majority 
of  the  actual  settlers,  but  had  no  legal  standing,  inasmuch 
as  it  had  never  been  authorized. 

Naturally  these  two  governments  were  drawn  into 
conflict  with  each  other,  and  soon  the  conflict  developed 
into  civil  war.  The  pro-slavery  party,  which  \vas  sup 
porting  the  territorial  legislature,  called  upon  the  Mis 
sourians  for  assistance,  and  on  different  occasions  they 
answered  the  call.  They  came  first  in  December,  1855, 
more  than  a  thousand  strong,  under  General  Atchi- 
son,  and  threatened  to  attack  Lawrence,  which  was  con 
sidered  by  them  as  the  ''headquarters  of  sedition."  They 
felt  that  if  they  could  only  break  up  this  place  it  would 
put  an  end  to  the  troubles  that  were  afflicting  Kansas, 
and  they  would  thus  secure  the  rights  of  the  pro-slavery 
party  in  that  Territory.  They  soon  found  a  pretext  and 
proceeded  to  make  their  descent  upon  Lawrence.  The 
threatened  attack,  however,  did  not  take  place,  owring  to 
the  negotiations  that  the  governor  of  Kansas  carried  on 
with  General  Atchison. 

The  Missourians,  however,  returned  the  following 
May  and  thoroughly  sacked  the  town.  The  printing 
offices  and  the  hotel  were  the  special  objects  of  their 
vengeance.  The  newspapers  that  had  been  published 
at  Lawrence  had  been  obnoxious  to  the  pro-slavery  party 
on  account  of  the  views  they  had  expressed,  and  the 
hotel  had  been  the  headquarters  of  the  "free  state"  sup 
porters.  The  presses  were,  therefore,  broken  up,  and  the 
files,  type,  and  other  stock  were  thrown  out  into  the 
streets.  The  hotel  was  burned  to  the  ground  after  an  un 
successful  attempt  had  first  been  made  to  blow  it  to  pieces. 
Moreover,  many  private  dwellings  also  were  burned, 
and  a  great  deal  of  looting  was  committed.  Three  men 


KANSAS  BORDER  TROUBLES          317 

lost  their  lives,  two  being  murdered  and  one  killed  by 
accident. 

Although  matters  had  become  very  disgraceful  by  this  2.  Dutch 
time,  they  were  shortly  to  become  worse  because  of  the  Henry's 

Crossing 

atrocities  that  were  committed  by  John  Brown  and  his 
followers  at  Dutch  Henry's  Crossing  on  Pottawotamie 
Creek  in  May,  1856.  Brown  had  come  to  Kansas  from 
Ohio  early  in  that  year  and  had  settled  at  Ossawotamie, 
where  five  of  his  sons  had  already  settled.  He  began  at 
once  to  take  an  active  part  against  the  pro-slavery  party 
in  Kansas.  In  fact,  it  has  been  said  that  he  had  come,  not 
to  make  a  home  for  himself,  but  to  strike  a  physical  blow 
at  slavery,  which  he  hated  with  an  undying  hatred.  He 
was  in  Lawrence  when  the  Missourians  made  their  first 
attack  upon  it  in  December,  1855,  and  on  hearing  of  the 
agreement  between  the  governor  of  Kansas  and  General 
Atchison,  he  publicly  denounced  it  in  bitter  language. 
Nothing  was  done  by  Brown,  however,  until  after  the 
attack  upon  Lawrence  by  the  Missourians  on  May 
21.  The  news  of  this  attack  reached  Ossawotamie 
the  same  day,  and  immediately  a  force  of  men,  among 
whom  was  Brown,  set  out  from  that  place  for  Lawrence. 
While  on  this  expedition,  Brown  planned  in  retaliation  a 
raid  upon  some  slaveholders  near  Dutch  Henry's  Crossing 
on  Pottawotamie  Creek,  not  very  far  from  Ossawotamie. 
Gathering  a  group  of  not  more  than  seven  or  eight  men, 
Brown  disclosed  to  them  his  design,  namely,  "to  sweep 
off  all  pro- slavery  men  up  and  down  Pottawotamie." 
On  securing  their  consent  to  this  plan,  he  proceeded  to 
carry  it  out.  Going  from  cabin  to  cabin  in  the  dead  of 
the  night,  he  and  his  band  dragged  out  five  unarmed  men 
and  murdered  them  in  cold  blood. 

Although  this  diabolical  deed  was  condemned  by  both 
pro-slavery  and  anti-slavery  people,  it  was  responsible  for 
"much  of  the  havoc  and  anarchy  in  which  the  Kansas  of 
1856  weltered."  "To  the  intensity  of  hate  was  added 
the  wild  delirium  of  fear,"  and  when  it  was  suspected  that 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.  Destruc 
tion  of  Ossa- 
wotamie 


4.  Interven 
tion  of 
United 
States 
Troops 


Brown  was  responsible  for  the  Pottawotamie  murders, 
the  Missourians  tried  to  run  him  down  and  capture  him. 
This,  however,  they  never  succeeded  in  doing.1  But 
they  inaugurated  retaliatory  deeds  of  violence  and  executed 
them  with  inflamed  passions.  Manifestoes  were  drawn  up 
by  such  Missourians  as  Atchison,  Stringfellow,  Doniphan, 
and  others  declaring  that  war  was  being  waged  by  Aboli 
tionists  and  urging  resistance.  A  large  body  of  Mis 
sourians  gathered  on  the  Kansas  border  expecting  to  be 
called  in  by  the  Kansas  governor,  who  was  supposed  to 
be  in  sympathy  with  their  cause,  to  assist  in  putting  down 
the  "free  state"  supporters.  But  the  summons  never 
came. 

The  Missourians  were  not,  however,  to  be  balked  in 
their  revenge.  Among  other  things  done  by  them  was 
the  destruction  of  Ossawotamie,  "Old  Brown's  Head 
quarters,"  on  August  30,  1856.  They  came,  about  two 
hundred  and  fifty  strong,  drove  off  the  small  force  that 
opposed  them,  and  then  fired  the  town,  leaving  not  more 
than  three  or  four  cabins  standing. 

Naturally  these  deeds  of  violence  called  forth  action  on 
the  part  of  the  "  free  state  "  people  in  Kansas,  and  plans 
were  made  for  an  attack  on  Lecompton,  the  political  center 
of  the  pro-slavery  people.  The  attack  failed.  In  return 
about  3000  Missourians  gathered  on  the  border  and  were 
meditating  the  destruction  of  every  "  free  state  "  settlement 
in  the  Territory.  From  this  threatened  disaster  the  Ter 
ritory  was  saved  by  the  intervention  of  United  States 
troops  in  the  latter  part  of  1856.  Under  the  protection 
of  these  troops  an  election  for  a  territorial  legislature 
was  held  in  October,  1857,  and  was  carried  by  the  anti- 
slavery  people  of  the  Territory. 

1  Among  the  Missourians  who  attempted  to  capture  Brown  was 
Captain  Pate,  who  had  recruited  a  company  of  75  or  80  men  mostly 
from  Westport,  Missouri.  Pate,  however,  not  only  failed  to  cap 
ture  Brown,  but  he  and  many  of  his  men  were  forced  to  surrender 
to  the  very  man  they  had  intended  to  take. 


KANSAS  BORDER  TROUBLES          319 

The  election  of  a  free  territorial  legislature  gave  the 
anti-slavery  party  a  legal  standing  such  as  it  had  not 
yet  had  in  the  Territory,  and  although  the  pro-slavery 
party  in  Kansas  kept  up  the  contest  and  tried  to  get 
Congress  to  admit  Kansas  under  a  pro-slavery  constitu 
tion,  it  was  compelled  ultimately  to  succumb  to  the  anti- 
slavery  party.  Kansas  was  admitted  into  the  Union  as 
a  free  state  in  January,  1861. 

With  the  election  of   a  free    territorial    legislature  in  Invasions  of 
1857,  the  invasions  of  the  Missourians  into  Kansas  came  Missouri 
to  an  end,  and  our  immediate  interest  in  the  history  of  hawkers" 
the  struggle  between  the  pro-slavery  and  anti-slavery  par 
ties  in  Kansas  from  1857  to  1860,  ceases.     However,  during 
that  period  of  three  years  the  border  struggle  between  the 
Kansans  and  the  Missourians  continued,   but  with  the 
tables  reversed.     It  now  came  the  turn  for  the  Kansas 
"  Jay  hawkers"  to  invade  the  Missouri  border  counties 
and  harass  and  annoy  the  people  living  there.     The  worst 
depredations  were   committed  in   Cass,    Bates,   Vernon,   i.  object 
and  Barton  counties,  along  the  western  border  south  of  hawkers" 
Kansas  City.     Some  of  the  "Jayhawkers"  made  raids 
into   Missouri   for   the   purpose  of   striking   at   slavery, 
but   most    of    them    were    bent    purely   upon   mischief. 
Marauding,    robbery,    horse-stealing,    and   murder   were 
frequently  committed,  and  in  many  of  the  sections  of 
the  western  border  the  people  were  forced  to  abandon 
their  homes  and   go  into   the  interior   of   the   counties 
for  safety. 

Local  volunteer  companies  were  organized  in  the  sum-   2.  Coopera- 
mer  of   1858  in   these  southwestern   counties,   especially  G°"e°rfnors 
in  Bates  and  Cass,  for  the  purpose  of  warding  off  these  of  Missouri 
"  Jayhawking  "  attacks.     By  fall  the  situation  had  become  and  Kansas 
so  serious  that  Governor  Stewart  of  Missouri  felt  com 
pelled  to  place  an  armed  force  along  the  border  for  the 
protection   of   the   people   against   the   Kansas   bandits. 
Governor  Denver  of  Kansas  cooperated  with  Governor 
Stewart  by  ordering  a  company  of  Rangers  to  patrol  the 


320 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.  John 
Brown's 
Raid  into 
Missouri, 
1858 


4.  Mont 
gomery's 
Raid,  1860 


border.1  For  a  time  these  measures  taken  by  the  two 
governors  caused  matters  to  quiet  down  considerably, 
but  the  fires  were  fanned  into  flames  again  by  the  John 
Brown  raid  into  Missouri  in  December,  1858. 

This  raid  was  occasioned  by  a  negro  from  Missouri  ap 
pearing  in  Brown's  camp  near  Ossawotamie  on  December 
19,  1858,  and  begging  that  he  and  his  family  be  rescued 
from  slavery  before  they  were  sold  to  be  carried  down 
South.  The  next  night  Brown  with  a  number  of  men 
from  his  company  made  a  foray  into  Missouri  and  secured 
in  all  eleven  slaves  and  carried  them  into  Kansas.  One 
slave  owner  who  resisted  the  raiders  was  killed.  After 
having  been  kept  in  concealment  for  more  than  a  month, 
these  liberated  slaves  eluded  their  pursuers  and  were 
sent  on  to  Canada. 

Governor  Stewart  reported  the  situation  in  detail  to 
the  legislature  when  it  convened  in  January,  1859,  and 
submitted  the  memorials  that  had  come  to  him  from  the 
citizens  of  Bates  and  Vernon  counties  asking  for  speedy  re 
lief  from  "the  thieves,  robbers,  and  midnight  assassins" 
that  were  preying  upon  the  western  border.  The  legis 
lature  responded  promptly  by  appropriating  $30,000  and 
putting  it  at  the  disposal  of  the  governor  to  enable  him 
"to  suppress  and  bring  to  justice  the  bandits  on  the 
western  border  of  the  State  and  to  raise  a  sufficient  force 
to  protect  the  western  border."  Stewart  put  a  price  of 
$3000  on  the  head  of  Brown,  but  that  proved  useless. 
Brown  eluded  everybody  and  before  long  he  disappeared 
from  Kansas. 

Things  quieted  down  again  as  the  summer  of  1859 
came  on,  and  remained  peaceful  until  the  election  of 
Lincoln.  Then  occurred  the  most  alarming  disorders  that 
disturbed  the  border  between  1857  and  1860.  Several 
raids  into  Missouri  were  made  by  the  "  Jayhawkers"  dur- 

1  Governor  Stewart  appealed  to  President  Buchanan  for  United 
States  troops  to  guard  the  border,  but  was  told  that  no  men  were 
available  for  that  service. 


KANSAS  BORDER  TROUBLES         321 

ing  November  and  December,  1860.  Among  these  raids 
the  most  noted  was  the  one  led  by  James  Montgomery 
into  Vernon  County.  Montgomery  established  himself  at 
Fort  Scott,  just  across  the  Missouri  line,  and  threatened 
to  wipe  slavery  out  of  southern  Missouri.  In  addition 
to  the  raids  which  he  made  into  Missouri,  he  fell  upon  a 
number  of  Missourians  who  were  at  the  time  in  Kansas. 
Among  the  Missourians  who  were  killed  in  Kansas  were 
Russell  Hines,  who  was  caught  while  attempting  to  re 
cover  a  fugitive  slave,  and  Samuel  Scott,  who  had  for 
merly  been  sheriff  of  Bates  County  but  who  had  moved  to 
Kansas.  The  terror  became  so  great  along  the  border 
that  the  people  again  abandoned  their  homes  and  fled  into 
the  interior.  In  many  districts  the  abandoned  homes 
were  burned  by  the  invaders. 

So  serious  did  the  situation  become  that  Governor  Stew-  5.  Restora- 
art  decided  to  send  special  military  forces  to  the  border  tionof°rder 
again.  Troops  were  therefore  drawn  from  Jefferson  City 
and  St.  Louis  and  sent  down  under  Generals  Frost  and 
Parsons.  Upon  the  arrival  of  these  troops  order  was  soon 
restored.  But  peace  was  not  permanently  established 
until  after  the  Civil  War.  As  we  shall  see  in  a  subsequent 
chapter,  the  strife  that  was  begun  along  the  border  in 
1855  continued  through  the  Civil  War  period,  and  many 
of  the  worst  features  of  the  war  in  Missouri  arose  from 
the  bitterness  that  was  engendered  on  the  western  border 
before  1861. 

REFERENCES 

Carr,  Missouri,  pp.  241-259.  Burgess,  Middle  Period,  chs.  xx-xxi. 
Spring,  Kansas.  A  very  readable  and  fairly  reliable  account  of  the 
border  troubles  between  Kansas  and  Missouri.  Smith,  Parties 
and  Slavery,  chs.  ix  and  xi.  Viles,  "Documents  Illustrating  the 
Troubles  on  the  Border,  1858-60,"  in  the  Missouri  Historical  Review 
for  April,  July,  and  October,  1907.  Snyder,  "Battle  of  Ossawota- 
mie,"  in  the  Missouri  Historical  Review  for  January,  1912,  pp.  82-85. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE    CIVIL   WAR  — MISSOURI   DECIDES    TEMPORARILY 
AGAINST    SECESSION 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  Secession  of  the  First  Seven  South 
ern  States.] 

Border  THE  election  of  Lincoln  to  the  Presidency  in  November, 

Secession*  I^6o7  precipitated  almost  immediately  the  secession  of 
South  Carolina  from  the  Union.  Before  Lincoln  was 
inaugurated  six  other  states  followed  South  Carolina  out 
of  the  Union,  and  within  three  months  after  his  inaugura 
tion  four  other  states  likewise  seceded.  With  great 
anxiety  the  North  watched  the  remaining  slave  states 
(Delaware,  Maryland,  Kentucky,  and  Missouri)  to  see 
what  they  would  do.  It  was  feared  that  they  too  would 
join  their  seceding  sisters  and  thus  seal  the  permanent 
disruption  of  the  Union.  Fortunately  for  the  cause  of 
freedom,  however,  they  did  not  secede,  and  undoubtedly 
the  final  success  of  the  North  is  due  in  part  to  the  loyal 
attitude  taken  by  these  border  slave  states. 

But  only  one  of  these  —  Delaware  —  unreservedly 
joined  the  North.  In  Maryland  and  Kentucky  an  effort 
was  made  to  inaugurate  and  maintain  a  policy  of  neu 
trality,  but  this  did  not  succeed,  and  both  of  these  states 
were  soon  ranged  on  the  side  of  the  North.  In  Missouri 
there  was  a  long-drawn-out  struggle  between  the  conflict 
ing  forces,  and  for  some  time  the  matter  was  in  doubt. 
Ultimately,  however,  the^Union  forces  succeeded  in  getting 
the  situation  in  hand  in  the  State  and  thus  kept  her 
from  seceding.  How  they  succeeded  in  doing  this  is 
the  theme  of  the  present  chapter  and  of  the  three  or  four 
immediately  following. 

322 


THE    CIVIL   WAR  323 

In  order  to  get  our  bearings  for  the  study  of  this  subject,  Elections  in 
we  must  go  back  to  the  election  of  1860.  At  that  time  ^S0souri  in 
the  State  and  the  national  elections  were  not  held  in  Mis 
souri  on  the  same  day,  as  they  now  are,  but  took  place  in 
different  months,  the  State  election  in  August  and  the 
national  election  in  November.  At  no  previous  time  had 
the  political  situation  been  so  complicated  in  Missouri  as 
it  was  in  1860.  This  was  due  primarily  to  the  turn  that 
had  been  given  to  national  political  affairs  prior  to  the 
State  election  in  August.  And  in  order  to  see  what  that 
turn  was,  it  is  necessary  to  review  for  a  moment  the  con 
ventions  that  were  held  by  the  great  national  parties 
during  the  summer  of  1860. 

The  great  issue  that  was  before  the  country  in  1860  i.  National 
was  that  of  slavery  in  the  territories.  This  issue  divided  Conventions 
the  Democratic  party  into  two  sections.  One  section, 
composed  mainly  of  Northern  Democrats,  declared  that 
the  people  in  the  territories  should  decide  for  themselves 
the  question  of  slavery.  They  nominated  Douglas  of 
Illinois,  the  leading  advocate  of  squatter  or  popular 
sovereignty,  as  their  candidate  for  President.  The  other 
section,  consisting  chiefly  of  Southern  Democrats,  in 
sisted  that  Congress  should  protect  slavery  in  all  of  the 
territories.  Their  candidate  was  Breckenridge  of  Ken 
tucky.  The  Republican  party,  made  up  almost  entirely 
of  Northerners,  declared  that  neither  Congress  nor  a 
territorial  legislature  had  any  right  to  give  slavery  legal 
existence  in  any  territory  of  the  United  States.  They 
nominated  Lincoln  of  Illinois.  The  Conservative  Union 
party  was  composed  of  Whigs  and  Conservatives,  and 
avoiding  the  word  "  slavery  "  in  their  platform,  declared 
that  they  recognized  no  political  principle  other  than  the 
Constitution  of  the  country,  the  union  of  states,  and  the 
enforcement  of  laws.  They  nominated  Bell  of  Tennessee. 

The  split  in  the   national  Democratic   party  gave  the  2.  Results 
managers  of  that  party  in  Missouri    the  very  difficult  in  Mlssouri 
problem   of   keeping   the   two   factions   united   in   State 


324  HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 

politics.  Claiborne  F.  Jackson,  the  Democratic  nominee 
for  governor,  tried  to  keep  himself  neutral  between  the 
two  factions.  But,  owing  to  the  pressure  that  was 
brought  to  bear  on  him,  he  was  forced  to  come  out 
in  favor  of  Douglas,  whereupon  the  Southern  Demo 
crats  nominated  Hancock  Jackson  for  governor.  The 

(a)  Governor  Republicans  nominated  James  B.  Gardenhire,  and  the 
Conservative  Unionists  or  old  Whigs  nominated  Semple 
Orr.  The  vote  as  cast  for  these  candidates  was  as  fol 
lows  :  Claiborne  F.  Jackson,  74,446  ;  Semple  Orr,  64,583  ; 
Hancock  Jackson,  11,415;  James  B.  Gardenhire,  6135. 
The  race  was  between  the  Douglas  Democrats  and  the 
Conservative  Unionists,  the  candidate  of  the  former 
party  winning  by  a  few  less  than  10,000  votes. 

(6)  Legisla-  The  legislature  elected  at  the  same  time  contained 
representatives  of  all  four  of  these  parties.  In  the  senate 
there  were  33  members,  of  whom  15  were  Breckinridge 
or  Southern  Democrats ;  10  Douglas  or  Northern  Demo 
crats  ;  7  Conservative  Unionists ;  and  i  Republican. 
In  the  house  there  were  132  members,  among  whom 
were  47  Breckinridge  Democrats,  36  Douglas  Demo 
crats,  37  Conservative  Unionists,  and  12  Republicans. 
From  this  tabulation  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Breckin 
ridge  Democrats  had  the  lead  over  any  other  one  party, 
but  not  enough  to  control  the  situation  by  themselves. 
It  was,  therefore,  necessary  for  the  two  wings  of  the 
Democratic  party  to  combine  their  forces  in  order  to 
give  either  of  them  a  share  in  the  organization  of  the 
legislature.  By  making  this  combination  the  Breckin 
ridge  Democrats  were  able  to  elect  their  candidate  as 
speaker  of  the  house.  On  the  other  hand,  the  newly 
elected  lieutenant  governor,  Thomas  C.  Reynolds,  was, 
like  Governor  Jackson,  a  Douglas  Democrat. 

(c)  President  In  the  Presidential  election,  as  in  the  State  elections, 
the  race  in  Missouri  was  between  the  Douglas  Democrats 
and  the  Conservative  Unionists,  but  with  a  much  closer 
margin.  Practically  every  white  man  in  the  State  voted 


THE    CIVIL   WAR  325 

at  this  election.  The  total  vote,  165,518,  was  distributed 
as  follows:  Douglas,  58,801;  Bell,  58.372;  Breckin- 
ridge,  31,317  ;  Lincoln,  17,02s.1  Douglas  carried  the  elec 
toral  vote  of  the  State,  but  with  a  very  narrow  margin 
of  only  429  votes.  It  will  be  noted  that  the  two  leading 
Presidential  candidates  were  representatives  of  the  more 
or  less  conservative  parties  and  that  their  combined  votes 
amounted  to  a  little  more  than  seventy  per  cent  of  all 
the  votes  cast  for  President  in  the  State.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  representatives  of  the  radical  parties  received 
all  together  a  vote  that  was  about  10,000  less  than  that 
cast  for  either  of  the  other  two  leading  candidates.  It  is 
significant,  however,  that  the  vote  for  Douglas  and  Bell 
was  considerably  less  than  that  which  had  been  cast  for 
the  Douglas  and  the  Breckinridge  candidates  for  gov 
ernor  in  the  preceding  August  election,  and  that  the 
votes  for  Breckinridge  and  Lincoln  were  about  three 
times  the  number  that  had  been  cast  for  the  Breckin 
ridge  and  the  Lincoln  candidates  for  governor.  Between 
August  and  November  the  radical  parties  had  gained 
considerably  in  Missouri. 

When  the  legislature  met   in   regular  session  on   De-  Attitude  of 
cember  31,  1860,  it  was  confronted  with  the  momentous  ^e^o^ard 
problem  of  determining  what  Missouri's  attitude  should  Secession 
be   toward   the   South.     By   that   time   South   Carolina 
had  seceded  from  the  Union,  and  it  was  a  foregone  con 
clusion   that    other    Southern   states   would   follow.     In 
fact,  by  February  i,  1861,  six  other  states  (Mississippi, 
Florida,  Alabama,  Georgia,  Louisiana,  and  Texas)   had 
withdrawn  from  the  Union.     That  the  retiring  and  the  in- 

1  "Out  of  every  165  men  who  went  to  the  polls,  17  were  quite 
positive  that  the  existence  of  slavery  should  cease ;  3 1  were  equally 
positive  that  slavery  should  be  extended  or  the  Union  dissolved ; 
59  favored  squatter  sovereignty  or  local  option  in  the  territories 
in  regard  to  slavery ;  58  thought  that  all  this  fuss  about  the  negro 
was  absurd,  criminal,  and  dangerous,  and  ought  to  be  stopped'  at 
once  by  suppression, — if  necessary,  by  hanging  the  extremists  on 
both  sides  and  letting  things  go  on  just  as  they  had  been." 


326  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

coming  governors  of  Missouri  appreciated  the  seriousness 
of  the  situation  is  seen  from  their  official  utterances  at 
the  opening  of  the  legislature.  The  retiring  governor 
i.  Message  was  Robert  M.  Stewart.1  Although  a  Northern  man  by 
Stewart"101  kirtn>  ne  naol  been  a  strong  advocate  of  squatter  sover 
eignty  and  declared  "that  the  Southern  people  had  the 
right  to  take  their  slaves  into  all  the  territories  and  hold 
them  there  under  the  protection  of  the  Constitution."  In 
his  final  message  to  the  legislature,  he  came  out  decidedly 
against  secession  and  said  that,  whatever  the  other  slave 
states  did,  Missouri  should  remain  in  the  Union.  He 
recognized,  however,  that  there  were  obligations  resting 
upon  the  North  and  insisted  that  it  should  give  adequate 
guarantees  to  the  South  that  all  the  just  rights  of  the 
states  should  be  observed.  In  fact,  he  maintained  that" 
the  Union  could  be  preserved  on  no  other  basis. 

The  inaugural  address  of  the  new  governor,  Claiborne 
F.    Jackson,2  had  a   different   ring.      Holding  that   the 

1  Robert  M.  Stewart  enjoyed  the  distinction  of  being  the  only 
governor  of  Missouri  who  had  up  to  this  time  been  a  native  of  a 
Northern  state.     He  was  born  in  New  York  in  1815.    He  afterward 
moved  to  Kentucky,  where  he  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar.     He  came  to  Missouri  in  1829  and  in  a  few  years  settled 
in  St.  Joseph.     From  1846  to  1857  he  was  a  member  of  the  State 
senate.      In  1857  he  was  elected   governor  to  fill  out  an  unexpired 
term  of  Trusten  Polk,  who  had  been  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate. 

2  Claiborne  F.  Jackson  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1806,  of  Vir 
ginia  parentage.     He  came  to  Missouri  while  yet  in  his  'teens,  and 
succeeded  so  well  in  business  that  he  was  able  at  the  age  of  thirty 
to  devote  himself  almost  exclusively  to  politics.     In  1856  he  was 
elected  to  the  legislature  and  from  that  time  to  his  death  in  1862 
he  was  in  public  life  continuously.      At  one  time  he  was  speaker 
of  the  house  and  for  a  time  he  was  a  member  of  the  State  senate. 
In  1849,  as    chairman  of    the  committee    of    the  State  senate  on 
Federal  relations,  he   reported   the  famous  "Jackson  Resolutions" 
which  instructed  the  United  States  Senators  from   Missouri   (es 
pecially  Benton)   to  support  only  those  measures  that  gave  the 
people   in   the   territories   the   right   to   determine   for   themselves 
whether  slavery  should  exist  in  those  territories  or  not.     In  the 


THE   CIVIL  WAR 


327 


Republican  party,  which  had  just  elected  Lincoln  to  the 
presidency,  was  committed  to  the  abolition  of  slavery 
everywhere,  he  urged  that  Missouri  would  "best  consult 
her  own  interests  and  the 
interests  of  the  whole 
country  by  a  timely  dec 
laration  to  stand  by  her 
sister  slave-owning  states, 
in  whose  wrong  she  par 
ticipated  and  with  whose 
institutions  and  people 
she  sympathized."  That 
meant  that  if  the  Union 
was  to  be  destroyed  Mis 
souri  should  go  with  her 
sister  slaveholding  states 
of  the  South.  Like 
Stewart,  Jackson  hoped 
that  the  North  and  the 
South  might  reach  some 
sort  of  an  agreement  and 
thus  preserve  the  Union, 
but  unlike  Stewart  he  declared  that  if  the  Union  was 
divided,  Missouri  should  go  with  the  South. 

There  is  not  any  doubt  that  Governor  Jackson  voiced 
the  views  and  opinions  of  the  majority  of  the  mem 
bers  of  the  legislature.  But  that  body  felt  that  the  ques- 

mighty  contest  that  ensued  between  Benton  and  his  opponents, 
when  Benton  made  his  "Appeal"  from  the  "Resolutions"  to  the 
people  of  Missouri,  Jackson  took  a  very  prominent  part  and  of 
course  profited  by  Benton's  defeat.  He  was  described  as  being 
"tall,  erect,  dignified;  a  vigorous  thinker  and  a  fluent  and  forcible 
speaker,  always  interesting  and  often  eloquent ;  a  well-informed 
man,  thoroughly  conversant  with  politics  of  Missouri  and  of  the 
Union ;  with  positive  opinions  on  all  public  questions  and  the 
courage  to  express  and  uphold  them.  He  was  courteous  in  his 
bearing  toward  all  men,  for  he  was  kindhearted  and  by  nature  a 
democrat;  and  a  truthful,  honest,  and  honorable  gentleman." 


2.  Inaugural 
Address  of 
Governor 
Jackson 


CLAI  BORNE  F.  JACKSON 

Governor  of  Missouri  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  Civil  War. 


3.  Provision 
Made  for  a 
State 
Convention 


328 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


tion  of  the  relation  of  the  State  to  the  Union  should 
be  dealt  with  by  a  convention  officially  elected  for  that 
purpose,  and  it  therefore  promptly  passed  a  bill  providing 
for  such  a  convention.  The  date  of  election  was  set  for 
February  18  and  the  date  for  the  meeting  of  the  con 
vention  for  February  28.  From  each  senatorial  district 
there  were  to  be  elected  three  times  as  many  delegates 
as  State  senators  to  which  the  district  was  entitled. 
Although  the  convention  was  authorized  to  adopt  such 
measures  for  vindicating  the  sovereignty  of  the  State  and 
for  the  protection  of  its  institutions  as  should  appear  to 
be  demanded,  the  bill  specifically  provided  that  "no 
act,  ordinance,  or  resolution  of  said  convention  shall  be 
deemed  to  be  valid  to  change  or  dissolve  the  political 
relations  of  this  State  to  the  government  of  the  United 
States  or  to  any  other  state  until  a  majority  of  qualified 
voters  of  this  State  voting  upon  the  question  shall  ratify 
the  same."  The  bill  was  carried  in  the  senate  by  a  vote 
of  30  to  2,  and  in  the  house  by  a  vote  of  105  to  18.  It 
is  significant  that  n  of  the  18  adverse  votes  cast  in  the 
house  came  from  St.  Louis,  where  abolition  sentiment 
was  strongest. 

4.  Resolu-  Shortly  after  this  measure  had  been  passed,  a  Congress- 

thTcoerdon  man  from  Mississippi  arrived  in  Jefferson  City  to  an 
nounce  that  his  state  had  seceded  and  to  ask  for  the  coop 
eration  of  Missouri.  He  was  very  graciously  received  by 
Governor  Jackson  and  was  given  the  privilege  of  making 
an  address  to  the  legislature.  A  few  days  later  the 
legislature  put  itself  on  record  regarding  coercion  against 
seceding  states  by  passing  a  resolution  declaring  that  so 
' '  abhorrent  was  the  doctrine  of  coercion  that  any  attempt 
at  such  would  result  in  the  people  of  Missouri  rallying 
on  the  side  of  their  Southern  brethren  to  resist  to  the  last 
extremity."  Against  this  resolution  there  was  but  one 
vote  in  the  senate  and  only  fourteen  in  the  house. 

The  election  that  was  held  on  February  18  was  a  great 
surprise  and  a  bitter  disappointment  to  those  who  had 


of  the  South 
ern  States 


THE    CIVIL   WAR 


329 


been  counting  on   Missouri   seceding  from  the  Union.1  Election  of 
The  secessionists  had  been  comforting  themselves  with  ^e^ates 
the  notion  that  the  election  would  plainly  reveal  the  fact  Convention 
that  Missouri  could  be  counted  on  to  follow  South  Caro 
lina  and  the  other  cotton  states.     But  of  the  99  members 


MISSOURI  COUNTIES  IN  1860 

Reproduced  by  permission  of  the  Political  Science  Department  of  the 

University  of  Missouri. 

elected  to  the  convention,  not  one  was  in  favor  of  imme-  i.  "Condi- 
diate  secession.     All  of  them  might  be  classed  as  either  ^°enna!,Union 
' '  conditional  Union  men  "  or  ' '  unconditional  Union  men. ' '  2 

1  On  that  day  Jefferson   Davis  was  inaugurated  president  of  the 
Southern  Confederacy. 

2  Of  the  99  members,  53  were  natives  of  Virginia  or  Kentucky, 
and  all  but  17  had  been  born  in  slave  states  —  13  in  Northern  states, 
three  in  Germany,  and  one  in  Ireland. 


330 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  "Uncondi 
tional  Union 
Men" 


The  "conditional  Union  men"  constituted  by  far  the 
larger  group  in  the  convention.  They  held  that  the 
Union  should  be  preserved,  but  they  would  pledge  them 

selves  neither  to  remain  with 
it  under  all  circumstances  nor 
to  secede  if  Congress  did  not 
arrange  a  satisfactory  com 
promise  between  the  North 
and  the  South.  Among  the 
constituents  of  these  '  '  condi 
tional  Union  men  '  '  were  most 
of  the  old-time  Whigs  and 
the  Democrats. 

The  ''unconditional  Union 
men  '  '  were  determined  to  up 
hold  the  Union  at  whatever 
cost.  They  represented  prac 
tically  all  the  Republicans,  a 
good  many  Northern  Demo- 

The   leader   of    the   Unionists   of    cmt      and  SQme  of  the  Whigs> 

Frank  P.  Blair,  although  not 
&  member  of  the  convention, 

was  the  leader  of  their  group.1 
That  the  legislature  accepted  the  results  of  the  election 
as  unmistakable  in  their  meaning  is  seen  from  the  fact 

1  Blair  was  a  Kentuckian  by  birth  and  was  at  this  time  just  forty 
years  of  age.  He  came  to  Missouri  in  1843  and  began  the  study 
of  law  in  the  office  of  his  brother,  Judge  Montgomery  Blair,  who 
afterward  became  Postmaster  General  under  Lincoln.  At  the 
time  the  war  with  Mexico  began  he  was  in  Santa  Fe  for  his 
health,  and  after  that  place  had  been  taken  by  Kearny,  Blair  was 
made  attorney  general  of  the  Territory  of  New  Mexico.  He  re 
turned  to  St.  Louis  in  1847  and  plunged  into  politics  the  next  year. 
He  soon  became  an  anti-slavery  leader.  In  1848  he  supported 
Van  Buren,  the  Free  Soil  candidate  for  President,  and  the  next  year 
he  championed  the  cause  of  Senator  Benton  in  the  struggle  that 
had  been  precipitated  in  the  State  by  the  "Jackson  Resolutions." 
Benton,  much  to  his  own  hurt,  had  a  sort  of  contempt  for  the 


FRANK  P.  BLAIR 


Missouri  at  the  outbreak  ot  the  Livil 
War.  From  Stevens'  Missouri,  the 
Center  State,  by  permission  of  the 
Missouri  Historical  bociety. 


THE    CIVIL  WAR  331 

that  the  bill  which  it  had  been  considering,  that  provided 
for  arming  and  equipping  the  militia,  probably  for  the 
purpose  of  preparing  the  State  for  secession,  was  promptly 
laid  aside  as  futile. 

On  February  28  the  convention  met  at  Jefferson  City   First  Ses- 
and  perfected  its  organization  by  electing  Sterling  Price,1   convention 
a  "  conditional  Union  man,"  president.     As  soon  as  this 
was  done  the  convention  adjourned  to  St.  Louis.     This, 
action  was  no  doubt  due  to  the  well-laid   plans  of  the 
Union  men  of  St.  Louis,  who  saw  that,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  there  were  no  secessionists  in  the  conven- 

younger  men  growing  up  in  the  Democratic  party  in  Missouri, 
and  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  any  of  them  but  Blair.  In 
1852  Blair  was  elected  to  the  legislature  on  the  Benton  ticket 
and  was  reflected  in  1854.  In  1856  he  was  elected  to  Congress 
and  after  dropping  out  for  a  term  was  reflected  in  1860.  Be 
cause  of  his  attitude  toward  slavery,  Blair  might  well  be  called 
an  Abolitionist.  But  his  opposition  to  slavery  was  based  not  so 
much  on  sentimental  grounds  as  on  the  economic  position  that  the 
system  was  a  burden  to  society.  He  was  not  only  opposed  to 
slavery,  but  he  was  also  bitterly  opposed  to  secession.  Under  no 
circumstances  would  he  favor  the  withdrawing  of  Missouri  from 
the  Union.  Because  of  his  fearless  courage  and  great  ability,  he 
was  readily  recognized  as  the  leader  of  the  "unconditional  Union 
men  of  Missouri." 

1  Sterling  Price  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1809.  He  came  to  Mis 
souri  in  1831,  and  after  living  at  Fayette  for  two  years  he  moved 
to  Chariton  County,  where  at  first  he  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  in  Keytesville,  and  later  in  farming  near  that  place.  In 
1840  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  legislature  and  was  chosen 
speaker.  In  1842  he  was  reflected  to  both  positions.  In  1844  he 
was  elected  to  Congress,  but  resigned  his  seat  in  that  body  on  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war  with  Mexico.  He  was  commissioned  by 
President  Polk  to  raise  a  regiment  to  reenforce  Kearny,  who  had 
set  out  on  his  Santa  Fe  expedition.  After  reaching  Santa  Fe\ 
Price  was  left  in  charge  of  the  place,  while  Doniphan  went  on 
the  expedition  against  Chihuahua.  In  1852  Price  was  elected 
governor  of  Missouri  as  an  anti- Benton  man.  His  career  during 
the  Civil  War  will  be  outlined  in  the  chapters  that  follow.  Per 
haps  no  other  man  ever  won  the  esteem  of  his  followers  as  did 
Price.  He  was  known  familiarly  as  "  Pop  "  Price. 


332 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


i .  Report  of 
the  Com 
mittee 
on  Federal 
Relations 


tion,  there  was  great  danger  in  allowing  it  to  continue  its 
sessions  in  Jefferson  City  where  the  secessionists  were  so 
strong  in  the  legislature.  These  Union  men  of  St.  Louis 
therefore  got  certain  members  from  the  country  districts 
to  introduce  and  support  a  motion  to  adjourn  the  con 
vention  to  St.  Louis,  and  authorized  them  to  offer  that 
body  the  free  use  of  a  hall  in  the  Mercantile  Library 
building  and  also  free  transportation  from  Jefferson  City 
to  St.  Louis.  When  these  generous  offers  were  submitted, 
the  convention  quickly  voted  to  accept  them.  Accord 
ingly  the  convention  transferred  itself  to  St.  Louis, 

resuming  its  sessions  there 
on  March  4.  On  the  day 
that  it  reassembled,  a 
representative  of  Georgia 
appeared  before  it  and  an 
nounced  the  secession  of 
his  State,  urging  Missouri 
to  do  likewise. 

The  most  important 
business  transacted  by  the 
convention  was  the  adop 
tion  of  a  report  made  by  a 
committee  of  thirteen  on 
Federal  relations.  The 
chairman  of  this  committee 
was  Hamilton  R.  Gamble, 
who  was  destined  to  be 
come  Missouri's  war  gov 
ernor  before  many  months 
passed.  The  report  consisted  of  a  series  of  resolutions, 
the  first  and  most  important  of  which  declared  that  at 
present  there  was  "no  adequate  cause  to  impel  Missouri 
to  dissolve  her  connections  with  the  Federal  Union,  but 
on  the  contrary  she  will  labor  for  such  an  adjustment  of 
existing  troubles  as  will  gain  the  peace,  as  well  as  the 
rights  and  equality,  of  all  of  the  states."  This  resolution 


STERLING  PRICE 

Governor  of  Missouri,  1852-56,  and 
the  most  prominent  Southern  leader  in 
Missouri  during  the  Civil  War.  From 
Stevens'  Missouri,  the  Center  State,  by 
permission  of  the  Missouri  Historical 
Society. 


THE   CIVIL  WAR  333 

was  adopted  by  the  convention  with  only  one  dissenting 
vote.  Another  of  these  resolutions  declared  that  the 
people  of  Missouri  would  support  the  efforts  that  were 
still  being  made  at  Washington  to  effect  a  compromise 
between  the  North  and  the  South  ;  and  another  denied 
the  use  of  military  force  by  the  Federal  Government  to 
coerce  into  submission  the  seceding  states  or  by  the  seced 
ing  states  to  assail  the  Government  of  the  United  States. 

Other   resolutions   expressing    different   views   of    the   2.  Con- 


matter  were  introduced  into  the  convention,  but  failed  ionof 


of  passage.  One  provided  that  Missouri  would  "never  Resolutions 
permit  men  or  money  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  the  Federal 
Government  in  any  attempts  to  coerce  a  seceding  state." 
Another  pledged  Missouri  to  secede  if  the  Union  should  be 
broken  up.  But  the  majority  of  the  convention  were 
against  making  any  promises  or  pledges  which  would 
hinder  its  future  policy.  At  the  same  time  the  convention 
gave  no  pledge  that  Missouri  would  stay  in  the  Union 
under  any  and  all  circumstances.  It  was  content  merely 
to  state  clearly  that  for  the  present  there  was  no  adequate 
reason  for  Missouri  to  withdraw  from  the  Union.  After  3-  Adjoum- 
adopting  Gamble's  resolution  the  convention  decided,  on  ^Ca^ 
March  22,  to  adjourn  subject  to  the  call  of  the  executive 
committee.  By  this  action  it  prolonged  its  own  existence 
and  opened  a  way  for  it  to  become  a  factor  in  the  later 
developments,  as  we  shall  shortly  see. 

On  March  28,  the  legislature  likewise  adjourned  without  Adjoum- 
having  made  any  arrangements  for  raising  and  support- 
ing  the  militia  for  the  protection  of  the  State.  Matters 
were  in  suspense.  Unforeseen  events  soon  precipitated 
a  great  struggle  in  Missouri  which  lasted  for  four  long 
years. 

REFERENCES 

Carr,  Missouri,  ch.  xviii.  McElroy,  Struggle  'for  Missouri, 
pp.  1-50.  This  book  is  based  largely  on  Peckham's  General  Nathaniel 
Lyon  and  Snead's  Fight  for  Missouri,  two  of  the  most  valuable  books 
that  have  been  written  on  the  early  period  of  the  war  in  Missouri. 


334  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

The  first  of  these  books  presents  the  Northern  point  of  view,  and 
the  second  the  Southern.  Both  of  them  are  now  out  of  print  and 
hard  to  get.  Anderson,  A  Border  City  in  the  Civil  War,  pp.  1-62. 
The  author  of  this  book  served  as  pastor  of  the  Second  Baptist 
Church  in  St.  Louis  from  1858  to  1866.  He  was  an  ardent  Union 
man  and  took  a  very  active  part  in  the  public  affairs  of  that  city 
during  his  residence  there.  In  this  book  he  relates  in  a  most  in 
teresting  manner  many  of  the  stirring  events  that  occurred  in  St. 
Louis  during  the  war.  His  account  of  the  fight  for  the  Arsenal  and 
of  the  capture  of  Camp  Jackson  is  especially  illuminating.  Rom- 
bauer,  The  Union  Cause  in  St.  Louis  in  1861,  chs.  iv-viii.  The 
author  of  this  book  was  a  colonel  in  the  Union  army  and  lived  in 
St.  Louis  during  the  war.  He  writes  at  first  hand  concerning  many 
of  the  things  dealt  with  in  this  book. 


CHAPTER   XVI 
THE  CIVIL  WAR  — THE  FIRST  STRUGGLE  FOR  MISSOURI 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  same  as  that  of  Chapter  XV.] 

THE  action  of  the  convention  in  standing  out  against  Disappoint- 
secession  was  approved  by  the  majority  of  the  people   Qo"*r°for 
in  the  State.     To  Governor  Jackson  and  a  goodly  number   Jackson 
in  the  legislature,  however,  the  convention  had  been  a   contention 
very    bitter    disappointment.     They   believed   that   war 
was  inevitable,  and  that  Missouri  should  join  the  seceding 
states  without  further  delay.     They  had  held  this  view 
even  before  the  convention  had  declared  that  there  was 
as  yet  no  cause  for  Missouri  severing  her  relations  with 
the  Union.     They  were  determined,  therefore,  not  to  be 
balked  in  their  purpose  by  the  action  of  the  convention, 
and  they   decided  to  await   developments  and  to  hold 
themselves  in  readiness  to  take  Missouri  out  of  the  Union 
when  the  opportunity  presented  itself. 

Events   moved  very  rapidly  in   Missouri   during   the   Jackson 
month  following    the    adjournment    of    the    convention,   comply8 with 
On  April  12,  Fort  Sumter  was  fired  upon  by  the  Con-  Lincoln's 
federates,  and  on  April  15  Lincoln  made  his  call  for  75,000     a 
troops.     Missouri  was  asked  by  the  Secretary  of  War  to 
furnish  four  regiments  of  infantry  as  her  quota  of  the 
75,000.     In  reply  to  this  request  Governor  Jackson  said: 
"There  can  be,  I  apprehend,  no  doubt  but  these  men  are 
intended  to  form  a  part  of  the  President's  army  to  make 
war  upon  the  people  of  the  seceded  states.     Your  requi 
sition,   in  my  judgment,  is  illegal,  unconstitutional,  and 
revolutionary  in  its  objects,  inhuman  and  diabolical,  and 
cannot  be  complied  with.     Not  a  man  will  the  State  of 
Missouri  furnish  to  carry  out  such  an  unholy  crusade." 

335 


336 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


Jackson  and 
the  Federal 
Arsenals  in 
Missouri 


i.  Capture 
of  the 
Liberty 
Arsenal 


2.  Plans  to 
Capture  the 
St.  Louis 
Arsenal 


There  were  at  that  time  two  United  States  Government 
arsenals  in  Missouri,  a  rather  small  one  near  Liberty,  and 
a  larger  one  at  St.  Louis.  Now  that  Governor  Jackson 
had  defied  the  National  Government,  it  was  in  order  for 
him  to  seize  these  arsenals  and  use  the  military  supplies 
therein  in  equipping  the  State  militia  for  disunion  pur 
poses.  On  the  2oth  of  April,  nine  days  after  the  firing 
upon  Fort  Sumter  and  six  days  after  Lincoln's  call  for 
75,000  volunteers,  a  company  of  about  200  men,  mostly 

from  Clay  and 
Jackson  counties, 
took  the  arsenal 
at  Liberty  and 
carried  away  the 
stock  of  guns  and 
ammunition  they 
found  there. 

Plans    were    on 
foot  at   the  same 
time    to    capture 
the  arsenal  at  St. 
THE  FEDERAL  ARSENAL  AT  ST.  Louis  Louis,  but  the  task 

From  a  photograph  made  in  1861.  See  the  map  of  of  taking  this  One 
St.  Louis  on  page  349  for  the  location  of  the  arsenal.  wag  a  much  bigger 

and  more  complicated  affair  than  that  at  Liberty.  The 
St.  Louis  arsenal  was  situated  in  the  southern  part  of 
the  city.  It  covered  56  acres  of  ground,  fronting  on  the 
Mississippi  River  and  was  surrounded  by  a  high  stone  wall 
on  all  sides  except  on  the  side  along  the  river.  Within  the 
four  massive  buildings  that  were  inclosed  by  this  wall 
there  were  stored,  according  to  one  authority,  60,000 
stands  of  arms,  mostly  Enfield  and  Springfield  rifles, 
1,500,000  cartridges,  and  90,000  pounds  of  powder,  besides 
other  munitions  of  various  kinds.1 

1  According  to  another  authority  the  only  arms  in  the  arsenal 
at  the  time  were  30,000  percussion  cap  muskets,  1000  rifles,  a  few 
unfit  cannon,  and  a  few  hundred  flintlock  muskets. 


THE   CIVIL  WAR  337 

Because  of  the  location  of  the  arsenal  and  the  supplies 
contained  therein,  the  question  as  to  which  side  should  get 
possession  of  it  was  one  of  very  great  importance.  It  is 
true  that  before  the  election  of  members  to  the  State 
convention  had  been  held,  this  arsenal  might  have  been 
taken  just  as  easily  as  the  arsenal  at  Liberty.  The  garrison 
was  not  large,  and  Major  Bell,  who  was  the  commander 
at  the  time,  had  intimated  to  General  Frost  of  the  State 
militia  that  he  would  not  resist  the 'proper  State  authorities 
if  they  demanded  the  surrender  of  the  arsenal.1  But 
by  the  time  the  great  crisis  arrived,  the  troops  at  the 
arsenal  had  been  considerably  increased  in  number  and  a 
new  commander  had  been  placed  in  charge.  With  these 
changes,  the  arsenal  could  not  be  taken  except  by  using 
considerable  force. 

That    Governor    Jackson    contemplated    using    force   (a)  Reas- 
seems  very  evident  from  the  moves  he  made.     First  of  ^L     1° 
all,    he    summoned    the    legislature    to    reassemble    on  ture 
May  2.     In  his  message  to  that  body  he  reviewed  the 
events  that  had  occurred  since  it  had  adjourned,  and  he 
declared  that  the  country  was  in  imminent  danger  of 
destruction.     Believing  that  the  interests  and  sympathies 
of  Missouri  were  identical  with  those  of  the  slaveholding 
states,  he  recommended  that  the  people  of  the  State  should 
be  armed  so  that  they  might  defend  themselves  against 
the  aggression  of  all  assailants. 

/     Jackson  not  only  reconvened  the  legislature,  but  also   (b)  Muster- 
J  issued  an  order  directing  the  militia  throughout  the  State 
\  to  go  into  camp  in  their  respective  districts  on  May  3   Camps 
/  and  to  remain  there  for  six  days  for  the  purpose  of  under- 
i  going  military  drill  and  practice.     Under  this  order,  a 
\force  of  about  700  men  under  General  Frost  encamped  in 

1  Major  Bell  had  been  in  charge  of  the  arsenal  at  St.  Louis  for 
several  years  and,  because  of  his  financial  interests  in  the  city,  had 
come  to  regard  St.  Louis  as  his  home.  On  being  removed  from 
the  command  of  the  arsenal,  he  was  ordered  to  report  at  New  York. 
But  he  resigned  from  the  army  and  retired  to  a  farm  near  St.  Louis. 


338 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


a  beautiful  grove  just  within  the  western  city  limits  of  St. 
Louis,  which  was  named  Camp  Jackson  in  honor  of  the 
governor.1 

In  issuing  this  order  gathering  the  State  militia  into 
camps,  the  governor  was  acting  strictly  according  to  law. 
"  As  to  the  legality  of  Camp  Jackson  there  can  be  no  doubt 
at  all ;  there  has  never  been  any  pretense  that  it  was  an 
unlawful  assemblage  or  an  illegitimate  muster." 

But  as  to  the  object  that  Governor  Jackson  had  in 
mind  in  gathering  the  troops  at  Camp  Jackson,  there  is 


^ttS^^-sss^^m 


CAMP  JACKSON 

From  a  photograph  taken  shortly  before  its  capture  on  May  10,  1861.  See 
the  plot  of  Camp  Jackson  on  page  345,  and  the  map  of  St.  Louis  on  page  349  for 
the  location  of  the  camp. 

(c)  War          certainly    no    doubt   that   he   was   contemplating  some- 
Securedfr-om   thing  that  looked  toward  the  capture  of  the  government 
President        arsenal  at  St.  Louis.     This  is  borne  out  by  the  fact  that 
he  had  applied  to  Jefferson  Davis,  president  of  the  South 
ern   Confederacy,   for  guns   and  munitions   to   assist  in 
taking  the  arsenal,  and  that  shortly  afterward  a  large 

1  On  April  17  General  Frost  presented  a  memorial  to  Governor 
Jackson  asking  for  authority  to  station  the  militia  on  the  bluffs 
south  of  the  arsenal.  If  this  had  been  done  at  that  time,  it 
would  have  given  the  State  Guard  a  decided  military  advantage 
in  case  of  any  contest  with  the  force  in  the  arsenal.  But  by  the 
time  Jackson  called  the  militia  to  camp  early  in  May,  Lyon  had 
occupied  all  the  heights  near  the  arsenal,  so  that  Frost  had  to  locate 
his  camp  in  Lindell  Grove,  in  the  western  part  of  the  city. 


THE   CIVIL  WAR  339 

amount  of  war  material  that  had  been  taken  from  the 

arsenal  at  Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana,  was  put  on  a  steamboat 

and  shipped  under  the  disguise  of  ale,  marble,  etc.  to 

St.  Louis.     On  arriving  at  St.  Louis,  this  material  was 

promptly   transferred   to    Camp   Jackson   in   drays.     It 

looked  as  though  an  attempt 

to  capture  the  arsenal  would 

be    made    by    the    Missouri 

secessionists  in  a  very  short 

time.     That  the  attempt  was 

not  made  is  due  to  Nathaniel 

Lyon  and  Frank  P.  Blair,  the 

two    most    uncompromising 

Unionists  in  all  Missouri  at 

that  time.1 

Lyon  had  arrived   at   the  ,    7  Capture  of 

arsenal  in  St.  Louis  on  Febru-  ?ai?p 

GENERAL  NATHANIEL  LYON        Jackson 

ary   6    with    a    company   of      ~ 

Captor  of  Camp  Jackson.     Killed 
eighty     regulars     from     Fort    at    the    Battle    of    Wilson's    Creek, 

Riley,  Kansas,  having  been  f,ugust  .I0;,  x*61-    F™7  ^tevens> 

J  '  Missouri,   the    Center   State,   by    per- 

ordered    thence   by   General  mission  of  the  Missouri  Historical 

Scott,  who  had  been  secretly  Society- 

informed  by  .Blair  as  to  the  way  matters  were  going  in 

Missouri.    Blair  immediately  recognized  Lyon  as  a  kindred  i.  Activity 

spirit,  and  from  the  outset  they  worked  together  zealously  ^  J^011  and 

to  keep  the  secessionists  in  Missouri  from  gaining  any 

advantage  in  the  State. 

The  first  thing  Lyon  sought  to  do  was  to  secure  for 
himself  the  command  of  the  arsenal,  and  in  the  course  of  a 

1  Nathaniel  Lyon  was  born  in  Connecticut  of  old  Puritan  stock, 
in  1817.  In  personal  appearance  he  was  "of  less  than  medium 
height,  slender  and  angular ;  with  abundant  hair  of  sandy  color 
and  a  coarse,  reddish-brown  beard.  He  had  deep-set  blue  eyes ; 
features  that  were  rough  and  homely;  and  the  weather-beaten 
aspect  of  a  man  who  had  seen  much  hard  service  on  the  frontier." 
In  fact,  he  was  directly  from  Kansas,  where  he  had  been  engaged  in 
military  service  for  some  time,  and  doubtless  his  experience  in  that 
unhappy  country  had  intensified  his  hatred  of  slavery  and  slave- 


340  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

few  weeks  he  succeeded.  He  then  proceeded  to  place  a 
patrol  upon  the  streets  leading  to  the  arsenal  to  protect 
it  from  any  possible  attack  that  might  be  made.  This 
brought  him  into  conflict  with  the  city  authorities,  and 
he  was  compelled  by  his  military  superior,  General  Harney, 
to  withdraw  the  patrol.  Lyon  then  managed  through 
Blair  to  get  Harney  called  to  Washington  to  explain  why 
he  had  forced  Lyon  to  withdraw  his  patrol.  With 
Harney  gone,  Lyon  was  left  with  a  free  hand  in  the  city 
of  St.  Louis.  Within  two  days  he  succeeded  in  getting 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  guns  and  ammunition  trans 
ferred  from  the  arsenal  to  Springfield,  Illinois,  for  safe 
keeping.  He  was  in  constant  fear  that  the  arsenal  would 
be  captured  as  other  arsenals  had  been  in  the  Southern 
states,  and  he  thought  best  to  remove  at  least  a  part  of 
the  munitions  from  the  one  at  St.  Louis,  so  that  if  it  was 
taken,  the  victors  would  not  gain  so  great  an  advantage. 

Blair  meanwhile  had  been  engaged  in  organizing  and 
drilling  military  clubs  in  St.  Louis  called  "  Wide-awakes."  l 
In  fact,  he  had  been  engaged  in  this  work  ever  since 
South  Carolina  seceded  in  December,  1860.  At  first 
these  clubs  were  without  any  arms.  But  after  Governor 
Jackson  refused  to  honor  President  Lincoln's  call  of 
April  15  for  troops  from  Missouri,  Blair  offered  his  "Wide 
awakes"  as  volunteers.  His  offer  was  promptly  accepted  ; 

holders ;  he  was  marked  for  his  inability  to  see  more  than  one  side 
of  a  question,  for  his  intense  convictions,  his  impatience  of  control, 
his  intolerance  of  others,  and  his  tireless  energy. 

1  The  ' '  Wide-awakes ' '  were  originally  merely  political  clubs  that ' 
had  first  been  organized  by  Blair  during  the  presidential  campaign 
of  1860  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  torches  and  banners  in  the 
Republican  processions.  The  intense  excitement  that  prevailed 
throughout  the  country  after  the  election  caused  Blair  to  keep 
these  clubs  intact  and  to  begin  the  task  of  transforming  them 
into  military  companies.  On  the  other  hand,  the  "Minute  Men" 
of  the  Democratic  party  also  kept  up  their  organization  and  their 
headquarters,  and  they  too  were  transformed  into  military  com 
panies  for  the  purpose  of  supporting  the  South. 


THE   CIVIL   WAR 


341 


the  men  in  these  companies  were  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service  and  forthwith  received  arms  from  the 
arsenal.1 

Shortly  after  that  a  part  of  the  State  militia  had,  as  we 
have  already  seen,  gone  into  camp  on  May  3  near  St. 
Louis,  in  what  is  called  Camp  Jackson.  Fearing  that 
the  mustering  of  the  troops  here  was  a  part  of  Jackson's 


BIRD'S-EYE  VIEW  OF  ST.  Louis  IN  1861  (LOOKING  WE;T) 


scheme  to  make  an  attack  upon  the  arsenal,  Lyon  and 
Blair  decided  to  move  against  the  camp  and  capture  it. 
The  time  was  opportune,  inasmuch  as  Lyon's  immediate 
military  superior,  General  Harney,  was  still  in  Washington. 
Before  deciding  finally  to  attempt  the  capture  of  the 
camp,  Lyon  determined  to  see  for  himself  just  how  things 
were.  Disguising  himself  as  an  old  woman  he  rode 
through  the  camp  in  a  carriage  on  May  9.  He  saw  the 
streets  of  the  camp  named  after  such  men  as  Davis  and 

1  A  few  arms  had  been  secured  for  the  "Wide-awakes"  a  short 
time  before  this,  through  a  trick.  Those  interested  in  maintaining 
these  military  clubs  planned  an  art  exhibit  and  had  shipped  to 
St.  Louis  from  the  East  a  number  of  plaster  casts  and  paintings  to 
be  used  in  the  exhibit.  But  in  some  of  the  crates  that  were  marked 
"casts"  there  were  muskets.  These  crates  were  carefully  opened 
in  secret  and  the  muskets  were  afterward  handed  out  to  the  men. 


342 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Decision 
to  Capture 
Camp 
Jackson 


3.  Protests 
of  General 
Frost 


Beauregard,  two  of  the  most  prominent  leaders  in  the 
Southern  Confederacy,  and  he  also  saw,  stacked  up  at  the 
entrance  of  the  camp,  the  arms  and  munitions  that  had 
been  sent  to  St.  Louis  from  Baton  Rouge.1 

That  evening  Lyon  laid  before  the  Committee  of 
Safety  of  St.  Louis  his  plan  for  taking  the  camp.2  Blair 
was  present  at  this  meeting.  Lyon's  plan  was  opposed 
by  the  more  cautious  of  the  committee,  who  argued 
that  the  governor  had  only  ordered  the  encampment  for 
six  days  and  that  it  would  therefore  expire  very  shortly. 
To  these  objections  Lyon  held  that  the  legislature  might 
pass  a  military  bill  making  the  camp  permanent,  and  if 
that  were  done,  the  secession  sympathizers  would  flock 
into  the  camp  in  such  numbers  as  to  make  it  extremely 
difficult  to  capture.  Moreover,  word  had  been  received 
that  Harney  was  on  his  way  back  from  Washington  and 
Lyon  did  not  want  to  run  the  risk  of  having  such  a  man 
assume  command  again.  Pie  therefore  decided  to  attack 
Camp  Jackson  on  the  next  day,  May  10,  the  last  day 
of  the  encampment,  and  he  succeeded  in  getting  the 
committee  to  support  him  in  his  decision. 

General  Frost  was  aware  of  what  Lyon  was  planning,  and 
on  the  morning  of  the  loth  he  addressed  a  letter  to  the 
latter  in  which  he  stated  that  he  had  heard  of  rumors 
of  an  impending  attack  and  protested  against  it  as  un- 

1  He  impersonated  Mrs.  Alexander,  the  mother-in-law  of  Blair, 
who  was  an  invalid  and  blind.     She  was  accustomed  to  ride  about 
the  city  of  St.  Louis  with  a  heavy  black  veil  over  her  face,  and  was 
therefore  a  familiar  figure  in  the  streets  of  the  city.     Dressed  in  her 
clothes  and  riding  in  her  carriage,  Lyon  was  not  suspected  at  all 
during  his  drive  through  the  camp. 

2  The  Committee  of  Public  Safety  was  organized  in  St.  Louis 
early  in  the  year  by  the  "unconditional  Union  men  "  of  that  city. 
It  consisted  of  Oliver  D.  Filley,  then  mayor  of  the  city,  John  How, 
Samuel  T.  Glover,  Frank  P.  Blair,  James  O.  Broadhead,  and  J.  J. 
Witzig.     To  these  men  was  committed  the  task  of  looking  after 
the  cause  of  the  Union  in  St.  Louis,  and  it  was  under  their  direction 
that  the  Home  Guards  of  that  city  were  organized  and  prepared  for 
military  service. 


THE   CIVIL   WAR 


343 


warranted.  He  also  notified  the  committee  that  he 
knew  nothing  about  the  arms  stacked  at  the  entrance 
of  his  camp,  which  were  said  to  have  come  from  Baton 
Rouge,  and  that,  as  far  as  he  was  concerned,  the  United 
States  Marshal  might  come  and  take  them.  These 
protestations  were  of  no  avail.  Lyon  refused  to  receive 
the  letter  that  had  been  addressed  to  him ;  he  had  made 
up  his  mind  to  take 
the  camp  and  would 
allow  no  parleying 
or  delay. 

In  accordance 
with  his  plans,  he 
began  early  in  the 
afternoon  to  move 
his  troops,  number 
ing  about  7000,  to 
ward  the  camp. 
Two  detachments 
went  through  the 
central  part  of  the 
city  and  a  third  along 
the  western  border. 
So  well  had  Lyon 
planned  the  move 
ments  of  his  men, 
that  the  heads  of  the 
different  columns  appeared  at  the  designated  places  almost 
simultaneously.  As  soon  as  he  saw  that  his  men  had 
taken  their  positions,  he  sent  a  letter  to  Frost  demanding 
the  surrender  of  the  camp  within  half  an  hour.  Frost 
recognized  the  futility  of  offering  any  resistance  and  im 
mediately  replied  that  he  was  compelled  to  comply  with 
the  demand.  On  entering  the  camp,  Lyon  proposed  to 
release  the  prisoners  at  once  provided  they  would  swear 
to  support  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States.  This 
they  refused  to  do  on  the  ground  that  they  had  not  been 


GENERAL  D.  M.  FROST 

In  charge  of  the  State  Guards  at  the  time  of 
the  capture  of  Camp  Jackson.  From  Stevens' 
Missouri,  the  Center  State,  by  permission  of  the 
Missouri  Historical  Society. 


4.  The  Cap 
ture  of  the 
Camp,  May 
10,  1861 


344 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


5-  Clash  be 
tween  the 
Federal 
Troops  and 
the  People 


Excitement 
in  St.  Louis 


in  rebellion  and  that,  if  they  took  the  oath  demanded  of 
them,  it  would  be  an  acknowledgment  on  their  part  that 
they  had  been  in  rebellion.  They  then  stacked  their 
arms  and  marched  out  between  two  lines  of  Union  soldiers 
toward  the  arsenal. 

Unfortunately  the  advance  of  the  column  of  prisoners 
was  halted  a  little  way  out  of  the  camp  to  allow  the 
forming  of  the  rear.  In  a  few  moments  a  bloody  disaster 
occurred.  The  crowd  that  had  gathered  to  witness  the 
event  began,  shortly  after  the  halt  was  made,  to  indulge 
in  hostile  demonstrations  against  Lyon's  men.  At  first 
these  demonstrations  consisted  only  of  vulgar  epithets 
and  abusive  language.  Inasmuch  as  one  of  the  German 
companies  called  itself  "  Die  Schwarze  Garde "  (The 
Black  Guard),  the  crowd  began  to  call  the  troops  in 
derision  " Dutch  Black-guards."  Encouraged  by  the 
silence  and  forbearance  of  the  troops,  the  crowd  then 
began  to  hurl  rocks,  brick-bats,  and  other  missiles,  and 
according  to  some  accounts,  discharged  pistols  at  them. 
This  proved  too  much  for  Lyon's  troops,  and  they  re 
taliated  by  firing  upon  the  crowd.  When  the  melee  was 
over,  it  was  found  that  fifteen  had  been  killed,  three  of 
whom  were  Camp  Jackson  soldiers  who  had  just  sur 
rendered  to  Lyon.  By  six  o'clock  that  evening  Lyon 
had  reached  the  arsenal  with  his  men  and  the  captured 
troops.1 

Naturally  St.  Louis  was 'thrown  into  a  great  deal  of 
excitement  by  the  events  of  the  day.  The  Missouri 

1  On  the  next  day  all  of  Frost's  men  except  one  were  released  on 
subscribing  to  the  following  parole : 

"We,  the  undersigned,  do  pledge  our  words  as  gentlemen  that 
we  will  not  take  up  arms  nor  serve  in  any  military  capacity  against 
the  United  States  during  the  present  Civil  War.  This  parole  to 
be  returned  upon  our  surrendering  ourselves  at  any  time  as  prisoners 
of  war.  While  we  make  this  pledge  with  the  full  intention  of  obey 
ing  it,  we  hereby  protest  against  the  justice  of  its  exaction."  Cap 
tain  Emmet  McDonald  at  first  declined  to  take  the  parole,  and  was 
kept  at  the  arsenal  for  several  days  before  he  yielded. 


THE   CIVIL  WAR 


345 


Republican  in  its  issue  of  the  next  day  (May  n)  gave  a 
full  account  of  what  had  happened  the  day  before. 
Regarding  the  excitement  that  prevailed  during  the 
evening,  it  said  : 

"It  is  almost  impossible  to  describe  the  intense  ex- 
hibition  of  feeling  which  was  manifested  last  evening  in 


PLOT  OF  CAMP  JACKSON  PLOT  OF  THE  SITE  OF  CAMP 

As  it  was  at  the  time  of  its  capture  JACKSON 

on  May  10,  1861.  From  Rombauer's  As  it  is  at  present.  See  the  map  of 
The  Union  Cause  in  St.  Louis  in  1861.  St.  Louis  on  page  349  for  the  location  of 

Camp  Jackson. 

the  city.  All  the  most  frequented  streets  and  avenues 
were  thronged  with  citizens  in  the  highest  state  of  excite 
ment,  and  loud  huzzas  and  occasional  shots  were  heard 
in  various  localities.  There  was  very  little  congregating 
on  the  street  corners.  Everybody  was  on  the  move  and 


On  the 


346  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

rapid  pedestrianism  was  turned  into  account.  Thousands 
upon  thousands  of  restless  human  beings  could  be  seen 
from  almost  any  point  on  Fourth  Street,  all  in  search  of 
the  latest  news.  Imprecations,  loud  and  long,  were 
hurled  into  the  darkening  air,  and  unanimous  resentment 
was  expressed  on  all  sides  at  the  manner  of  firing  into 
the  harmless  crowds  near  Camp  Jackson.  Hon.  J.  R. 
Barrett,  Major  Uriel  Wright,  and  other  speakers  addressed 
a  large  and  intensely  excited  crowd  near  the  Planters 
House,  and  others  were  similarly  engaged  at  various 
other  points  in  the  city.  Amid  the  noise  and  confusion 
it  was  impossible  to  obtain  the  substance  of  the  speeches 
delivered. 

"  All  the  drinking  saloons,  restaurants,  and  other  public 
resorts  of  similar  character  were  closed  by  their  pro 
prietors  almost  simultaneously  at  dark ;  and  the  windows 
of  private  dwellings  were  fastened  in  fear  of  a  general  riot. 
Theaters  and  other  public  places  of  amusements  were 
entirely  out  of  the  question,  and  nobody  went  near  them. 
Matters  of  graver  import  were  occupying  the  minds  of  our 
citizens,  and  everything  but  the  present  excitement  was 
banished  from  their  thoughts. 

"  Crowds  of  men  rushed  through  the  principal  thorough 
fares  bearing  banners  and  devices  suited  to  their  general 
fancies  and  by  turns  cheering  or  groaning.  Some  were 
armed  and  others  were  not  armed,  and  all  seemed  anxious 
to  be  at  work.  A  charge  was  made  on  a  gun  store  of 
H.  E.  Dimick  on  Main  Street,  the  door  was  broken  open, 
and  the  crowd  secured  fifteen  or  twenty  guns  before  a 
sufficient  number  of  police  could  be  collected  to  arrest  the 
proceedings.  Chief  McDonough  marched  down  with 
about  twenty  policemen  armed  with  muskets,  and  suc 
ceeded  in  dispersing  the  mob  and  protecting  the  premises 
from  further  molestation.  Squads  of  armed  policemen 
were  stationed  at  several  of  the  most  public  corners,  and 
the  offices  of  the  Missouri  Democrat  and  the  Anzeiger  des 
Westens  were  placed  under  guard  for  protection." 


THE   CIVIL  WAR  347 

As  the  evening  wore  on,  quiet  was  restored  and  the  2.  On  the 


streets  became  cleared  of  people.     Order  prevailed  during  of 


the  next  day  until  early  in  the  evening,  when  another 
street  skirmish  occurred  between  a  regiment  of  Home 
Guards,  made  up  largely  of  Germans,  and  a  band  of 
Southern  sympathizers.  The  Home  Guards  were  attacked 
while  on  their  way  from  the  arsenal  where  they  had  been 
armed.  Six  men  were  killed  in  the  fray,  four  of  whom 
belonged  to  the  Home  Guards,  and  several  innocent 
passersby  were  wounded.  The  incident  served  to  stir 
anew  the  passions  of  the  people  and  to  deepen  the  gulf 
between  the  two  factions. 

The  climax  was  reached  on  Sunday,  the  second  day  3-  On  Sun- 
after  the  capture  of  the  camp.  Terrible  fear  came  upon 
the  people,  especially  the  Southern  sympathizers.  Many 
felt  that  the  Germans  were  going  to  overrun  the  city  and 
put  to  death  all  the  Southerners.  Early  that  morning 
some  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  St.  Louis  went  to 
General  Harney,  who  had  returned  the  day  before,  and 
implored  him  to  protect  the  city  against  the  attack  which 
they  thought  the  Germans  were  planning  to  make. 
General  Harney  assured  them  that  there  was  no  danger, 
but  to  quiet  their  fears  he  sent  out  detachments  of  soldiers 
from  the  arsenal  to  those  parts  of  the  city  that  were 
thought  to  be  the  most  exposed  to  attack,  and  he  had 
posted  a  proclamation  declaring  there  was  no  ground  for 
fear  and  appealing  to  the  people  to  be  calm.  These  acts 
of  Harney,  however,  "had  exactly  the  opposite  effect 
from  what  he  intended  ;  instead  of  quieting  the  people, 
they  excited  them  still  more  ;  instead  of  allaying,  they 
intensified  their  alarm." 

By  early  afternoon  a  great  host  of  people  were  fleeing, 
terror-stricken  and  in  great  haste,  from  the  city.  "Car 
riages  and  wagons  filled  with  trunks,  valises,  hastily 
made  bundles,  and  frightened  men,  women,  and  children 
were  flying  along  the  streets  toward  every  point  of  the 
compass.  Some  scared  souls,  unable  to  obtain  a  vehicle 


348 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


Significance 
of  Capture 
of  Camp 
Jackson 


i .  Passage  of 
the  Military 
Bill  by  the 
Legislature 


of  any  kind,  were  walking  or  running  with  breathless 
haste,  carrying  all  sorts  of  bundles  in  their  hands,  under 
their  arms,  or  on  their  shoulders.  All  these  were  fleeing 
from  imaginary  danger.  But  the  fancied  conflagration 
and  slaughter  which  they  believed  themselves  to  be 
escaping  were  to  them  awful  realities,  enacted  with 
all  their  attendant  horrors  over  and  over  again  within 
their  minds."  Some  of  the  panic-stricken  people  fled 
into  the  country  and  found  shelter  in  the  villages  and  farm 
houses.  Many  crossed  the  river  in  ferries  and  sought 
refuge  in  Illinois,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  it  was  a 
strong  Union  state.  Others  took  passage  in  steamboats 
and  went  either  up  or  down  the  river.  Those  who  did 
not  flee  from  the  city  barricaded  themselves  in  their 
homes  and  awaited  the  coming  of  the  enemy  with  guns 
loaded.  The  dreaded  calamity,  however,  did  not  come, 
and  in  a  day  or  two  the  refugees  began  to  come  back  to 
their  homes  and  places  of  business. 

The  capture  of  Camp  Jackson  is  one  of  the  most  sig 
nificant  events  in  the  history  of  the  Civil  War.  It  was 
"the  first  really  aggressive  blow  at  secession  that  was 
struck  anywhere  within  the  United  States."  Viewed  in 
the  light  of  subsequent  events  in  Missouri,  it  must  be 
considered,  however,  as  a  stupendous  blunder.  This  is 
seen  first  of  all  in  the  action  taken  by  the  legislature  when 
the  news  reached  Jefferson  City  that  the  camp  had  been 
taken.  The  legislature  had  been  wrestling  with  the 
military  bill  ever  since  it  had  been  reconvened  on  May  2 . 
This  bill  put  all  able-bodied  men  in  the  State  in  the 
militia  and  compelled  them  to  obey  implicitly  the  orders 
of  their  superiors,  all  of  whom  were  to  be  appointed  by  the 
governor ;  it  also  defined  the  crime  of  treason  against  the 
State,  extending  it  to  words  spoken  in  derogation  of  the 
governor  or  the  legislature.  Very  little  progress  had 
been  made  with  this  bill,  owing  to  the  vigorous  opposition 
offered  by  the  small  band  of  Union  men  in  the  legislature, 
but  the  opposition  was  swept  aside  when  the  news  came 


THE   CIVIL  WAR 


349 


in  the  evening  that  Camp  Jackson  had  been  captured. 
The  wild  scene  that  followed  the  reception  of  the  news 


MAP  or  ST.  Louis  / 

Showing  the  principal  Itreeb  pnd 
ParHf  or  today.  The  city  Limits,' 
in  1780,  I860,  X  today,  and/ 
The  location  of  Camp  Jackson 


Ordinal  City  in  I^S 

i 
Camp  Jackson/ 

\  U.S.  Arsenal'' 


SKETCH  MAP  OF  ST.  Louis 

Showing  the  location  of  the  original  village  in  1780;  the  Federal  Arsenal, 
Camp  Jackson,  the  city  limits  during  the  Civil  War,  and  the  city  limits 
at  present.  Only  a  few  of  the  leading  streets  of  the  city  of  to-day  are  shown. 

is  said  to  have  been  indescribable.  Within  fifteen  min 
utes,  after  some  sort  of  order  had  been  established,  the 
military  bill  was  passed  by  both  houses  and  was  in  the 


350 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.  Conver 
sion  of 
Conditional 
Unionists 
into  Seces 
sionists 


Price- 

Harney 

Agreement 


hands  of  the  governor  for  his  approval.  Later  in  the 
evening,  it  was  rumored  that  the  Federal  troops  had  left 
St.  Louis  for  Jefferson  City  to  capture  the  governor,  the 
staff  officers,  and  the  legislature.  The  legislature  was 
again  called  together  by  the  ringing  of  bells  and  the 
shouting  of  men,  and  remained  in  secret  session  until 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Although  there  was  noth 
ing  in  the  rumor,  the  legislature  took  no  chances  and 
adopted  drastic  measures  to  ward  off  the  attack. 

Within  the  next  five  days  the  legislature  passed  other 
laws  authorizing  the  expenditure  of  more  than  two  million 
dollars  for  the  purpose  of  repelling  invasion.  Doubtless 
it  would  also  have  passed  a  secession  ordinance  had  it  not 
been  that  the  question  of  the  relation  of  Missouri  to  the 
Union  had  already  been  referred  to  a  specially  elected 
convention. 

The  capture  of  Camp  Jackson  not  only  precipitated 
action  on  the  part  of  the  legislature,  but  it  drove  many 
men  into  the  ranks  of  the  secessionists  who  had  heretofore 
been  upholding  conditionally  the  cause  of  the  Union. 
Undoubtedly,  this  was  the  most  serious  consequence  that 
followed  the  event.  Among  those  who  went  over  to 
Governor  Jackson  and  the  secessionists  was  Sterling 
Price,  who  was  at  once  appointed  to  the  position  of  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  the  militia  that  had  just  been  provided 
for  by  the  legislature.1  Because  of  the  popularity  of  the 
man,  this  action  of  his  had  a  far-reaching  influence  upon 
a  great  many  people  who,  uncertain  as  to  what  they  should 
do,  now  joined  the  secessionists  just  because  Price  had 
done  so. 

Meanwhile  General  Harney,  who,  as  we  have  seen,  had 
returned  to  St.  Louis  and  assumed  his  command  of  the 
department,  approved  of  the  capture  of  Camp  Jackson 
and  issued  a  proclamation  in  which  he  declared  that  all 

1  The  State  was  divided  into  eight  military  districts  and  over 
each  of  these  districts  the  governor  appointed  a  brigadier  general 
to  organize  and  drill  the  militia. 


THE   CIVIL  WAR 


351 


the  power  of  the  United   States  would  be  exerted,  if 
necessary,  to  keep  Missouri  in  the  Union.     But  he  stated 
that  he  had  no  desire  to  engage  in  open  warfare  unless 
forced  into  it.     He  therefore  sought  to  hit  upon  some 
plan  that  would  save  the  State  from  plunging  into  war. 
He  notified  General  Price  to  meet  him  in  St.  Louis,  and  i.  Terms  of 
the  two  came  to  some  sort  of  understanding  which  was  ^fntAgree~ 
published  over  their  names  and  which  has  generally  been 
known   as    "The    Price-Harney   Agreement."       In   this 
agreement    Price    undertook 
to  direct  the  whole  power  of 
the   State   officers    to  main 
tain  order  in  the  State,  and 
Harney  declared  that  if  order 
were   maintained    he   would 
make  no  military  movement 
which    would    be    likely    to 
create      excitement      and 
jealousy. 

In  accordance  with  this 
agreement,  Price  dismissed 
the  troops  at  Jefferson  City. 
There  was,  however,  great 
dissatisfaction  among  the 
Unionists  of  the  State 

because  of  the  agreement.  It  was  particularly  offensive 
to  Lyon  and  Blair  and  to  the  St.  Louis  Public  Safety 
Committee.  A  circular  letter  was  therefore  sent  out  by 
the  committee  into  all  parts  of  the  State  asking  that  all 
offensive  treatment  of  loyal  Unionists  by  the  secessionists 
be  reported  to  it  in  detail. 

In  response  to  this  letter,  complaints  began  to  come  in  2.  Removal 
from  all  parts  of  the  State  alleging  that  loyal  citizens  were  of  Harney 
being  outraged  and  even  driven  from  their  homes.     These 
complaints  were  forwarded  to  President  Lincoln  for  the 
purpose  of  influencing  him  to  issue  an  order  removing 
Harney  and  putting  Lyon  in  his  place.     That  purpose  was 


GENERAL  W.  T.  HARNEY 

From  Stevens'  Missouri,  the  Center 
Stale,  by  permission  of  the  Missouri 
Historical  Society. 


352 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Interview 
between 
Lyon  and 
Jackson  in 
St.  Louis 


i.  The  Issue 


achieved.  The  order  removing  Harney  and  placing 
Lyon  in  his  stead  was  sent  to  Blair,  together  with  private 
instruction  from  Lincoln  to  withhold  it  until  such  time 
as,  in  his  judgment,  the  necessity  for  such  action  was 
deemed  urgent.  On  May  30,  Blair  decided  that  the 
emergency  had  come  and  he  therefore  produced  the  order 
which  installed  Lyon  in  Harney's  place.  Lyon  was 
thereupon  in  full  command  not  only  of  St.  Louis,  but  also 
of  Missouri,  and  indeed  of  all  the  territory  between  the 
Mississippi  and  the  Rockies,  except  Texas,  New  Mexico, 
and  Utah. 

Although  the  elevation  of  Lyon  to  this  prominent 
position  meant  a  new  order  of  things,  Governor  Jackson 
and  General  Price  hoped  that  they  might  control  the 
situation  and  they  sought  an  interview  with  Lyon. 
This  was  granted  them  under  a  special  safe  conduct, 
guaranteeing  that  they  should  be  free  from  molestation 
or  arrest  during  the  journey  to  and  from  St.  Louis. 

The  interview  occurred  on  June  12  at  the  Planters 
House  in  St.  Louis,  and  lasted  four  or  five  hours.  At 
the  outset,  Lyon  announced  that  the  discussion  on  the 
part  of  "his  Government"  would  be  conducted  by  Blair, 
but  inside  half  an  hour  Lyon  had  pushed  Blair  aside  and 
was  conducting  the  discussion  himself.  The  issue  was 
soon  clearly  drawn :  Jackson  declared  that  he  wanted  to 
keep  Missouri  neutral ;  to  that  end  he  promised,  among 
other  things,  to  disband  the  State  Guard,  to  prevent 
arms  and  munitions  of  war  being  brought  into  the  State, 
to  repress  the  insurrection  movements  within  the  State, 
to  repel  all  attempts  to  invade  the  State,  provided  the 
Federal  Government  would  disarm  the  Home  Guards 
which  had  been  organized  throughout  the  State,  and  would 
pledge  itself  not  to  occupy  with  its  troops  any  place  in 
the  State  not  occupied  by  them  at  the  time. 

This  proposition  was  rejected  by  Lyon  and  Blair,  and 
they  not  only  demanded  "the  disorganization  and  dis 
arming  of  the  State  militia  and  an  annulment  of  the 


THE   CIVIL   WAR  353 

military  bill,  but  they  refused  to  disarm  their  own  Home 
Guards,  and  insisted  that  the  Federal  Government  should 
enjoy  an  unrestricted  right  to  move  and  station  its 
troops  throughout  the  State  whenever  and  wherever  it 
might  be  decided,  in  the  opinion  of  its  officers,  either  for 
the  protection  of  the  loyal  subjects  of  the  Federal  Gov 
ernment  or  for  repelling  invasions." 

Failing  to  come  to  any  agreement,  Jackson  made  a  2.  Failure  to 
last  attempt  to  have  both  sides  agree  not  to  recruit 
troops  in  Missouri.  When  this  proposition  was  made, 
Lyon  replied:  " Rather  than  concede  to  the  State  of 
Missouri  the  right  to  demand  that  my  Government  shall 
not  enlist  troops  within  her  limits,  or  bring  troops  at  its 
own  will  into,  out  of,  or  through  the  State ;  rather  than 
concede  to  the  State  of  Missouri  for  one  single  instant 
the  right  to  dictate  to  my  Government  in  any  matter, 
however  unimportant,  I  would  (rising  as  he  said  this, 
and  pointing  to  every  man  in  the  room)  see  you,  and  you, 
and  you,  and  every  man  and  woman  and  child  in  the 
State  dead  and  buried." 

Then,  turning  to  the  governor,  he  said:  "This  means 
war.  In  an  hour  one  of  my  officers  will  call  for  you  and 
conduct  you  out  of  my  lines."  Then,  without  another 
word,  without  an  inclination  of  the  head,  without  even  a 
look,  he  turned  upon  his  heel  and  strode  out  of  the  room, 
rattling  his  spurs  and  clanking  his  saber  as  he  went. 

This  action  closed  the  door  upon  all  prospects  of  peace.  3.  Return  of 
Thereafter  there  was  nothing  left  for  Missouri  but  war. 
Jackson  and  Price  immediately  hurried  to  the  depot  of 
the  Pacific  Railroad  and,  impressing  into  their  service  a 
railway  train,  rushed  back  to  Jefferson  City  as  fast  as 
they  could,  arriving  there  at  two  o'clock  the  next 
morning.  They  stopped  long  enough  on  their  way,  how 
ever,  to  burn  the  bridges  behind  them  over  the  Gasconade 
and  the  Osage  rivers  and  to  cut  the  telegraph  wires. 

Immediately  upon  reaching  the  capital,  Jackson  issued 
a  proclamation  to  the  people  of  Missouri  in  which,  after 


354  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

Mobilization  announcing  the  results  of  the  interview  with  Lyon  and 
of  Troops  declaring  that  the  Federal  Government  intended  to  take 
military  possession  of  the  State,  he  called  for  50,000  of 
the  State  militia  to  assemble  to  repel  the  impending 
Federal  invasion.  At  the  same  time  Lyon  was  moving 
out  of  St.  Louis  to  Jefferson  City  by  way  of  the  river 
and  was  sending  an  expedition  by  land  to  southeast 
Missouri.  The  outcome  of  these  military  movements 
and  the  events  that  followed  immediately  thereafter 
will  be  dealt  with  in  the  succeeding  chapter. 

REFERENCES 

Anderson,  A  Border  City  in  the  Civil  War,  pp.  63-119.  McElroy, 
Struggle  for  Missouri,  pp.  50-117.  Carr,  Missouri,  pp.  291-313. 
Rombauer,  The  Union  Cause  in  St.  Louis  in  1861,  chs.  vii-viii. 
Webb,  Biographies  and  Battles  of  Missourians,  chs.  iv-v.  This  book 
presents  the  Southern  side  of  the  struggle  in  Missouri  during  the 
Civil  War.  The  father  of  the  author  was  a  Confederate  soldier 
and  his  mother  was  sent  into  exile  with  her  young  family  under 
"Order  Number  Eleven."  The  book,  however,  is  free  from  much 
of  the  bitterness  that  is  to  be  found  in  many  of  the  books  written 
just  after  the  war  by  those  who  participated  in  that  strife. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE  CIVIL  WAR  — THE  SECOND  STRUGGLE  FOR 
MISSOURI 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  Battle  of  Bull  Run  (July  21,  1861) 
and  the  Battle  of  Pea  Ridge  (March  6-8,  1862).] 

WE  saw  in  the  preceding  chapter  that  the  first  thing  Jackson's 
Governor  Jackson  did  on  arriving  at  Jefferson  City  was  volunteers 
to  call  for  50,000  of  the  State  militia  to  assemble  to  repel 
the  impending  Federal  invasion.  He  also  exhorted  "all 
good  citizens  of  Missouri  to  rally  under  the  flag  of  their 
State  for  the  protection  of  their  endangered  houses  and 
firesides,  and  for  the  defense  of  their  most  sacred  rights 
and  dearest  liberties."  According  to  the  census  of 
1860,  there  were  at  least  236,000  men  in  Missouri  capable 
of  bearing  arms,  and  Governor  Jackson  doubtless  hoped 
that  his  appeal  would  bring  to  the  defense  of  the  State  a 
great  many  more  than  the  50,000  he  called  for. 

But   Governor  Jackson  did  not  tarry  at  the  capital  Movement 
to  await  the  response  to  his  call.     Lyon  was  hot  on  his  ^Missou 
trail  with  a  considerable  force,  and  he  therefore  decided 
to    abandon   Jefferson    City   and   go    to    Boonville.     In 
company  with  General  Price  and  other  State  officers,  he 
went  up  the  river  in  a  steamboat  to  Boonville  the  day 
after  issuing  his  proclamation.1 

Two  days  after  Jackson  left  Jefferson  City,  Lyon  arrived   i.  Occupa- 
there  with  a  body  of  regulars  and  volunteers,   having  j°ffe°sfon 
come  up  the  river  in  steamboats.     He  was  enthusiastically  City 
received  by  those  who  were  opposed  to  secession,  of  whom 
a  large  proportion  were  Germans,  and  he  immediately 
took  possession  of  the  town  and  the  capitol. 

1  Governor  Jackson  was  destined  never  to  see  Jefferson  City 
again.     He  died  near  Little  Rock  on  December  6,  1862. 

355 


356 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


2.   Advance 
to  Boon- 
ville 


3.   Battle  of 
Boonville 


When  Lyon  heard  that  Jackson  had  gone  to  Boonville, 
he  decided  to  follow  and  to  drive  the  State  forces  from 
that  point  if  possible.  Lyon  recognized  the  strategic  im 
portance  of  Boonville.  If  it  were  held  by  Jackson,  the 
State  forces  under  his  direction  could  be  stationed  on  the 
bluffs  overlooking  the  river  and  they  might  prevent  any 
Federal  expedition  from  ascending  the  river  beyond  that 
point .  Lyon  was  determined  that  every  place  of  importance 
along  the  Missouri  River  below  Kansas  City  should  be 
controlled  by  the  Federal  Government  and  that  an  effective 
patrol  should  be  established  over  the  river.  If  that  were 
done,  then  the  northern  part  of  the  State  would  be  cut 
off  completely  from  the  southern  part,  which  was  a 
matter  greatly  to  be  desired  by  the  Unionists.  On  the 
other  hand,  Jackson  and  Price  saw  the  necessity  of 
keeping  at  least  a  portion  of  the  Missouri  River  open. 
They  realized  how  vital  it  was  to  their  cause  to  maintain 
communication  between  the  northern  and  the  southern 
portions  of  the  State.  For  these  reasons  both  sides 
attempted  to  get  control  of  the  Missouri  at  the  outset  of 
the  war,  and  for  the  same  reasons  the  South  made  desper 
ate  efforts  from  time  to  time  during  the  war  to  dislodge 
the  North  from  the  control  which  it  had  managed  to  gain 
very  early  in  the  conflict. 

Before  leaving  Jefferson  City,  Jackson  had  ordered  the 
brigadier  generals  of  the  eight  districts  of  Missouri  to 
concentrate  as  many  of  their  forces  as  possible  at  Boon 
ville  and  Lexington,  and  in  response  to  that  order  nearly 
1500  had  gathered  at  Boonville  under  General  John  B. 
Clark  by  the  time  Jackson  reached  the  place.  Most  of 
them,  however,  were  poorly  armed  and  many  were  with 
out  arms  at  all ;  practically  all  were  totally  untrained 
for  active  warfare.  Moreover,  Price  was  taken  very  ill 
after  leaving  Jefferson  City  and  had  to  retire  temporarily 
to  his  home  in  Chariton  County. 

On  hearing  that  Lyon  was  approaching  Boonville, 
Jackson  ordered  the  State  troops  to  advance  under 


THE   CIVIL  WAR  357 

Colonel  Marmaduke  to  a  point  six  miles  down  the  river 
from  Boonville  and  there  to  offer  battle.  They  very 
pluckily  resisted  Lyon  for  a  while ;  but  the  superiority 
of  the  latter's  troops  soon  began  to  tell,  and  in  the  course 
of  a  few  hours  all  of  Jackson's  forces  were  completely 
routed  and  driven  not  only  from  the  field  of  battle,  but 
also  through  the  town  and  far  beyond  it.  This  engage 
ment  occurred  on  June  18. 

On  the  day  after  reaching  Boonville,   Lyon  issued  a  4-  Lyon's 
proclamation  to  the  people  of  Missouri  in  which,   after  ^tHh'e 
reviewing  the  events  leading  up  to  the  battle  just  fought,  People  of 
he  declared  that  he  would  "scrupulously  avoid  all  inter-  * 
ference  with  the  business,  rights,  and  property  of  every 
description   recognized   by   the   laws   of   the   State   and 
belonging    to    law-abiding    citizens";     but    he    asserted 
that  it  was  equally  his  duty  "to  maintain  the  paramount 
authority  of  the  United  States"  with  such  force  as  he 
had  at  his  command. 

Although  the  battle  of  Boonville  was  only  a  slight  5-  Signifi- 
military  skirmish,1  it  was  very  significant  in  its  results.  ^Jtle°of  € 
In  the  first  place,  it  put  a  check  for  the  time  being  upon  the  Boonville 
volunteer  enlistments  in  Price's  army.  Southern  sym 
pathizers  had  confidently  hoped  that  Lyon  would  be 
stopped  at  Boonville,  and  when  he  was  not,  much  of  their 
ardor  subsided,  temporarily  at  least.  In  the  second  place, 
it  gave  the  Federalists  possession  of  the  highly  strategic 
point  on  the  river  at  Boonville,  and  the  gaining  of  this 
point  opened  the  way  for  an  effective  attack  upon  Price, 
who  had  sufficiently  recovered  to  assume  command  at 
Lexington.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  three  different  forces 
were  moving  toward  Lexington  at  that  time,  one  from 
Boonville,  another  from  Fort  Leavenworth,  and  another 
from  Iowa.2  In  a  short  time,  therefore,  after  the  defeat 
at  Boonville,  the  State  Guard  was  compelled  to  fall  back 

1  The  number  killed  on  both  sides  seems  to  have  been  only  four. 

2  The  forces  that  were  making  their  way  from  Fort  Leavenworth 
and  Iowa  had  been  sent  for  by  Lyon. 


358 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


Concentra 
tion  of  the 
State 
Guards  in 
the 
Southwest 


i.   Advance 
of  Federal 
Troops 
toward 
Springfield 


2.   Battle  of 
Carthage 


from  the  Missouri  to  the  Osage  River.  This  river  enters 
Missouri  from  Kansas  about  sixty  miles  south  of  Kansas 
City  and  flows  in  an  easterly  and  northeasterly  direction 
until  it  empties  into  the  Missouri  a  few  miles  below  Jeffer 
son  City.  The  Osage  thus  forms  a  natural  line  of  defense 
for  that  part  of  the  State  through  which  it  flows.  Rec 
ognizing  this  fact,  Price  had  advised  Jackson  to  order  the 
State  troops  to  take  up  their  position  behind  the  Osage, 
and  in  this  way  he  hoped  to  gain  time  for  their  adequate 
organization. 

But  the  Federals  did  not  allow  the  State  troops  to 
remain  along  the  line  of  the  Osage.  Lyon  had  foreseen 
from  the  first  what  would  probably  happen,  and  he  had 
sent  a  force  from  St.  Louis  through  Rolla  toward  Spring 
field  at  the  time  he  left  for  Jefferson  City.  Anticipating  a 
retreat  on  the  part  of  the  State  troops  to  the  southwestern 
part  of  the  State,  he  had  sent  this  force  toward  Spring 
field  for  the  purpose  of  making  the  line  of  the  Osage  un 
tenable  for  them.  Moreover,  he  wished  to  be  in  a  position 
to  thwart  any  move  that  might  be  made  by  the  Confed 
erate  forces  in  Arkansas  to  invade  Missouri  and  render 
assistance  to  Governor  Jackson  in  his  effort  to  take 
Missouri  out  of  the  Union. 

Matters  developed,  for  a  time  at  least,  as  Lyon  had 
expected.  The  presence  of  the  Federal  troops  near 
Springfield  made  it  hazardous  for  the  State  troops  to  try 
to  hold  the  Osage.  Moreover,  the  advance  of  other 
Federal  forces  southward  from  Boonville  and  Lexington, 
after  these  places  had  been  abandoned  by  the  State 
troops,  compelled  these  troops  to  go  still  farther  into  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  State.  This  retreating  force 
was  under  the  personal  command  of  Governor  Jackson, 
General  Price  having  been  sent  ahead  into  Arkansas  to 
solicit  the  aid  of  McCulloch,  who  was  in  command  of 
certain  Confederate  forces  in  that  State. 

By  July  4,  Governor  Jackson  was  nearing  Carthage  with 
a  body  of  slightly  more  than  4000  men,  many  of  whom 


THE   CIVIL  WAR  359 

had  joined  him  as  he  was  passing  southward.  On  the 
next  day  he  was  intercepted  by  a  Federal  force  of  1000 
men  under  Colonel  Sigel,  who  had  been  sent  out  from 
Springfield  to  hold  him  in  check  until  Lyon  could  come 
up  from  Boonville  and  complete  his  destruction.  Sigel, 
however,  failed  to  do  what  had  been  expected  of  him  and 
was  compelled  to  retreat  rather  precipitately  back  toward 
Springfield.  Jackson  then  entered  Carthage  the  next 
day,  and  here  he  learned  from  Price,  who  had  returned 
from  Arkansas,  that  after  much  persuasion  McCulloch 
had  consented  to  come  to  their  assistance.  For  some  time 
McCulloch  had  declined  to  respond  to  the  solicitations 
of  Price  because  Missouri  had  not  yet  seceded,  and 
his  orders  forbade  him  from  entering  Federal  territory. 
But  he  was  finally  induced  to  disregard  those  orders  and 
to  come  with  a  force  to  aid  Jackson  against  Lyon. 

As  things  turned  out,  there  seemed  to  be  no  immediate  3.  Price's 
need  of  McCulloch's  assistance  after  Sigel's  retreat  from 
Carthage.  Lyon  had  not  been  able  to  reach  Spring-  Prairie 
field  on  account  of  the  high  water  in  the  Osage  and  the 
other  streams  which  he  had  to  cross  in  moving  south 
from  the  Missouri  River.  McCulloch  therefore  returned 
to  northwestern  Arkansas  for  the  time  being,  and  Price 
brought  together  all  the  State  Guards  that  had  retreated 
southward  and  encamped  them  at  Cowskin  Prairie  in  the 
extreme  southwestern  part  of  the  State.  Here  he  under 
took  to  get  this  force  into  some  sort  of  organized  shape. 
This  was  a  task  of  no  ordinary  proportions.  There  was  a 
good  supply  of  powder  and  also  of  lead,  but  there  were  no 
molds  for  making  bullets  or  shot.  Molds  had  therefore 
to  be  improvised,  and  only  after  considerable  difficulty 
was  a  sufficient  supply  of  bullets  and  shot  secured.  But 
there  was  a  lack  of  arms  and  of  uniforms,  and  there  was 
no  money  with  which  to  buy  these  things.  Moreover, 
food  supplies  were  not  very  plentiful,  —  in  fact  the  men 
often  went  hungry.  But  notwithstanding  these  handi 
caps,  Price  was  able  to  get  things  whipped  into  shape  suffi- 


36° 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Lyon's 
Campaign 
around 
Springfield 


i.   Request 
for  Ree'n- 
forcements 


ciently  to  enable  the  State  Guards  to  give  a  good  account 
of  themselves  when  they  were  next  brought  into  action. 

It  will  be  seen  from  what  has  been  said  that,  up  to  the 
time  of  Sigel's  retreat  from  Carthage  to  Springfield, 
every  move  that  had  been  made  by  the  Federals  in 
Missouri  had  been  successful.  The  governor  had  been 
forced  out  of  the  State  capital  and  the  State  Guards  had 
been  driven  from  the  Missouri  River  into  the  south 
western  part  of  the  State.  But  with  Sigel's  retreat,  this 
series  of  Federal  victories  and  advantages  was  brought  to 
a  halt,  for  a  time  at  least,  and  during  the  next  few  months, 
as  we  shall  see,  it  looked  as  though  the  Federals  would 
lose  much  of  what  they  had  gained  in  Missouri. 

Lyon  did  not  reach  Springfield  until  July  13,  having 
been  delayed,  first,  in  getting  away  from  Boonville,  on 
account  of  the  lack  of  adequate  transportation  facilities, 
and  second,  after  leaving  Boonville,  by  the  high  water  he 
encountered  on  his  way.  On  arriving  at  Springfield  he 
found  that  the  entire  force  under  his  command  numbered 
less  than  6000  men.  Moreover,  of  this  number  nearly 
3000  had  enlisted  for  only  ninety  days,  and  as  their  time 
would  expire  by  the  middle  of  August  it  was  necessary  to 
move  quickly  if  their  services  were  to  be  made  use  of. 
In  addition,  the  supplies  were  insufficient,  and  there  was 
a  great  deal  of  dissatisfaction  among  the  troops. 

Lyon  saw  at  once  that  reinforcements  were  needed 
immediately,  and  he  telegraphed  to  St.  Louis  to  that 
effect.  But  his  urgent  requests  were  not  honored. 
There  were  several  reasons  for  this.  There  had  been 
a  change  in  the  command  of  the  Department  of 
Missouri.  It  seems  that  Lyon  was  not  trusted  at  Wash 
ington,  and  the  command  had  been  taken  from  him  and 
conferred  first  upon  McClellan  and  then  upon  Fremont. 
Fremont  was  Benton's  son-in-law  and  had  been  the  first 
Presidential  candidate  of  the  Republican  party  in 
1856.  Lyon  and  Blair  had  been  much  displeased  with 
McClellan 's  appointment,  but  they  had  welcomed  the 


THE   CIVIL  WAR  361 

appointment  of  Fremont.  In  their  expectations  of  Fre 
mont,  however,  they  were  doomed  to  bitter  disappoint 
ment.  Their  distrust  of  him  began  with  his  almost 
inexcusable  delay  in  reaching  St.  Louis.  Though  ap 
pointed  early  in  July,  he  did  not  make  a  move  to  get  to 
his  new  post  until  late  in  the  month.  It  was  July  25 
before  he  reached  St.  Louis. 

By  that  time  the  whole  country,  North  and  South, 
was  profoundly  stirred  by  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  which 
occurred  on  July  2 1 .  The  North  was  downcast,  the  South 
jubilant.  It  looked  for  a  time  as  though  Washington 
would  be  taken,  and  the  War  Department  was  making 
every  effort  to  prevent  that  from  occurring.  Forces 
that  should  have  been  sent  to  other  fields  were  kept  near 
Washington,  and  orders  were  going  out  calling  to 
Washington  troops  from  those  fields.  Moreover,  when 
Fremont  arrived  at  St.  Louis  he  felt  that  his  first  obliga 
tion  was  to  keep  enough  troops  at  that  place  to  insure 
holding  it,  and  that  his  second  duty  was  to  take  care 
that  Cairo  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  should  be  properly 
protected.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  had  56,000 
troops  stationed  at  thirteen  different  places  in  the  State 
at  the  time,  and  many  of  them  idle,  he  had  no  ear  for 
Lyon's  appeals. 

After  having  spent  three  weeks  in  drilling  and  organizing  2.  Advance 
the  State  Guard  at  Cowskin  Prairie,  Price  decided  that 
they  were  ready  for  an  engagement.  He  broke  camp  on 
July  25  and  started  for  Cassville,  a  town  situated  about 
forty  miles  southwest  from  Springfield.  He  arrived  at 
Cassville  on  the  28th  with  about  5000  troops,  and,  in 
accordance  with  prearranged  plans,  McCulloch  arrived 
there  the  next  day  with  about  3200  Confederate  troops, 
and  a  little  later  Pearce  came  up  with  2500  Arkansas 
State  troops.  There  were,  therefore,  nearly  11,000  men 
headed  toward  Springfield  where  Lyon  was  quartered 
with  a  force  of  less  than  6000  men. 

Hearing  of  this  movement  toward  Springfield,  Lyon 


362 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.   Lyon's 
Advance  to 
and  Retreat 
from 
Cassville 


4.   Dif 
ferences 
between 
Price  and 
McCulloch 


decided  to  try  his  hand  at  forestalling  a  united  attack  of 
all  these  forces  upon  him.  He  therefore  moved  out  of 
Springfield  toward  Cassville  on  August  i  and  sought  for 
an  opportunity  to  strike  separately  at  the  different  forces 
that  were  coming.  The  next  day  he  met  the  advance 
guard  of  the  Missouri  troops  and  easily  put  it  to  flight. 
On  the  following  day  he  advanced  still  farther  until  he 
came  within  six  miles  of  McCulloch's  camp.  Fearing, 
however,  that  his  line  of  communication  with  Springfield 
might  be  cut  off  if  he  remained  here  very  long,  he  fell 
back  upon  that  place,  arriving  there  on  the  5th. 

That  Lyon  was  able  to  make  these  movements  without 
being  intercepted  was  doubtless  due  to  the  lack  of  har 
mony  in  the  camp  of  his  opponents.  Price  wanted  to  give 
battle  to  Lyon  at  once,  but  McCulloch  was  reluctant. 
There  were  several  reasons  for  McCulloch's  reluctance. 
His  orders,  for  one  thing,  did  not  permit  him  to  make  an 
unrestricted  advance  into  the  State.  Moreover,  he  had 
"  little  confidence  in  the  fighting  qualities  of  the  Missou- 
rians"  and  he  "hesitated  about  risking  a  battle  so  long 
as  the  army  was  subject  to  a  divided  command."  Price 
divined  the  cause  for  McCulloch's  unwillingness  to  move 
against  Lyon,  and  he  thereupon  proposed  that  all  the 
troops  be  placed  under  McCulloch's  command,  reserving, 
however,  the  right  to  resume  the  command  of  the  Missouri 
State  troops  whenever  he  saw  fit.  To  this  proposition 
McCulloch  assented,  and  then  announced  that  he  was 
ready  to  move  against  Lyon.  By  that  time,  however, 
Lyon  had  begun  his  retreat  to  Springfield  and  could  not 
be  overtaken  before  reaching  that  place.  But  McCulloch 
moved  on  until  he  came  to  Wilson's  Creek  about  ten 
miles  southwest  of  Springfield.  On  the  morning  of 
August  6  the  entire  force  under  his  command  was  in 
camp  along  the  banks  of  that  stream. 

It  was  several  days  before  any  further  advance  was 
made.  In  spite  of  Price's  urging,  McCulloch  was  un 
willing  to  make  "a  blind  attack,"  as  he  called  it,  upon 


THE   CIVIL  WAR 


363 


The  latter  found  "^ 


MAP  or  BATTLE  FIELD^  WILSON'S  CREEK 
AUG  10.1861 

FORCES  °f PRICE  and  PtfCULlOCH 
I — I   FORC?  of  LYON    ana  SICC.L 
#    PLACE  V/HfKf  L10H  FCJ.L 


10,  1861 


Springfield.  Several  stormy  scenes  occurred  between 
Price  and  McCulloch.  Finally  McCulloch  agreed  on 
August  9  to  make  an  attack,  but  not  until  Price  had 
threatened  to  take  the  Missouri  troops  and  give  battle 
with  them  alone. 

But  the  offensive  in  the  battle  of  Wilson's  Creek  was  5-  Battle  of 
taken  not  by  McCulloch  but  by  Lyon. 
himself  in  great  straits. 
To  the  southwest  of  him 
was  a  force  about  twice 
as  large  as  his  and  ready 
for  the  fray.  No  reen- 
forcements  had  reached 
him  as  yet,  although 
they  had  been  started. 
He  did  not  want  to  re 
treat,  because  of  the  bad 
effect  such  a  move  would 
have  on  his  cause,  so  he 
decided  to  take  the  risk 
of  giving  battle.  Divid 
ing  his  forces  into  two 
parts,  he  planned  to  at 
tack  the  two  ends  of  the 
enemy's  line  at  the  same 
time.  He  sent  Sigel 
with  1 200  men,  late  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  gth, 
to  turn  the  right  flank 
of  the  enemy  and  attack 

them  from  the  rear,  while  he  himself  set  out  with  4200  men 
to  make  an  attack  on  the  front.  These  movements  were 
effected  by  midnight,  so  that  on  the  morning  of  the  loth 
Price  and  McCulloch  lay  between  Lyon  and  Sigel  and 
were  seemingly  unaware  of  that  fact  until  the  attack  was 
begun  almost  simultaneously  at  both  ends  of  the  line  at 
about  five  o'clock  that  morning.  McCulloch  under- 


BATTLE  OF  WILSON'S  CREEK 
AUGUST  10,  1861 

Adapted  from  map  in  McElroy's  Struggle 
for  Missouri. 


364 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


took  to  meet  the  attack  made  by  Sigel,  while  Price 
opposed  Lyon.  By  nine  o'clock  Sigel  was  retreating  upon 
Springfield,  having  been  completely  routed.  McCulloch 
then  turned  to  assist  Price  against  Lyon,  and  for  three 
hours  more  the  contesting  forces  grappled  with  each  other 
in  deadly  conflict.  At  the  critical  moment  Lyon  was 

killed.  By  noon  the 
Federals  were  in  full  re 
treat  upon  Springfield 
under  the  command  of 
Sturgis,  who  had  suc 
ceeded  Lyon.1 

Space  will  not  permit 
a  full  description  of  this 
battle,  which  many  con 
sider  the  most  famous  of 
all  the  military  engage 
ments  in  Missouri  dur 
ing  the  Civil  War.  It 
was  noteworthy  because 
of  the  desperate  bravery 
that  was  manifested  on 
both  sides  and  because 
of  the  fearful  losses  that  both  sides  sustained.  Of  the  5400 
Federal  troops  engaged  in  this  battle,  1302  were  killed, 
wounded,  or  missing,  and  of  the  nearly  1 1 ,000  State  Guards 
and  Confederates,  1242  were  killed,  wounded,  or  missing.2 

1  The  night  before  the  battle  Lyon  wrote  a  letter  to  Fremont 
announcing  his  plans  for  the  next  day.     In  that  letter  there  was  "not 
one  word  about  the  desperate  battle  he  was  to  fight  on  the  morrow, 
not  one  fault-finding  utterance,  not  one  breath  of  complaint.     But, 
true  to  his  conviction,  true  to  his  flag,  true  to  the  Union  men  of 
Missouri  who  confided  in  and  followed  him,  true  to  himself  and  true 
to  his  duty,  he  went  out  to  battle  against  a  force  twice  as  great  as 
his  own  with  a  calmness  that  was  as  pathetic  as  his  courage  was 
sublime."     This  encomium  is  not  from  one  of  Lyon's  followers  but 
from  Colonel  Snead,  Price's  chief  of  staff. 

2  The  total  casualties  on  both  sides  were  2544,  or  nearly  16  per  cent 
of  all  those  engaged. 


GENERAL  FRANZ  SIGEL 


THE   CIVIL  WAR  365 

The  greatest  loss  on  the  Federal  side  was  General  Lyon 
himself. 

Every  military  advantage  lay  with  Price  and  McCulloch  6.  inability 
after  the  battle,  and  had  they  only  followed  the  retreating  Fol^eup0 
Federals  relentlessly,  they  would  probably  have  captured  his  victory 
every  one  of  them  before  they  could  have  reached  Rolla, 
the  southern  terminus  of  the  railroad  running  into   St. 
Louis.     But   McCulloch   declined   to   join   Price   in   the 
pursuit,  giving  the  same  reasons  that  he  had  given  before. 
He  therefore  withdrew  into  Arkansas  and  left  Price  to 
grapple  with  the  situation  in  Missouri  alone.     That  Price 
failed  ultimately  in  this  task  was  due  in  part,  no  doubt,  to 
the  fact  that  he  was  not  able  to  follow  up  the  military 
advantage  that  was  his  after  the  battle  of  Wilson's  Creek. 

Notwithstanding  Price's  inability  to  follow  up  his 
victories,  the  effect  of  Wilson's  Creek  upon  the  parties 
contending  for  the  control  of  the  State  was  unmistakable. 
Coming  so  soon  after  Bull  Run,  it  was  thought  of  as 
another  bit  of  Southern  good  fortune,  and  this  had  the 
effect  of  adding  to  the  depression  of  the  Northerners  and 
increasing  the  exhilaration  of  the  Southerners. 

Taking  advantage  of  the  large  numbers  of  men  that  Price's 
nocked  to  his  standard  after  the  battle  of  Wilson's  Creek,  %£%£** 
Price  decided  to  turn  northward  and  attempt  to  break  the  Lexington 
patrol  of   the   Missouri   River  which   the   Federals   had 
established  after  Jackson  had  been  driven  from  Jefferson 
City  and  Boonville.     He  therefore  started  from  Spring 
field  on  August  25  toward  Lexington.      On  his  way  he 
turned   aside   long   enough   to   drive   out  of    the   State   i.  Battle  of 
some  Kansas  troops  under  "  Jim"  Lane,  pursuing  them  as 
far  as  Fort  Scott,  Kansas.      Resuming  his  march  upon   1861 
Lexington,  he  reached  that  place  with  his  advance  guard 
on  September  13.     Here  he  found  a  force  of  about  3000 
men  under  Colonel  Mulligan,  who  had  been  ordered  to 
stay  until  relieved.      In  the  face  of  an  opposing  army 
that  grew  to  be  many  times  larger  than  his  (Price  is  said 
to  have  had  between   14,000  and  20,000  men  in  all  at 


366 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Lexington),  Mulligan  declined  to  make  his  escape  to  the 
other  side  of  the  river  on  the  steamboat  at  his  command, 
and  instead  withdrew  his  forces  to  Masonic  College  Hill, 
which  overlooked  the  river.  Here  he  entrenched  his  men 
and  sent  an  urgent  request  to  Fremont  at  St.  Louis  for 
reinforcements.  Had  Fremont  sent  them  at  once  they 


THE   CIVIL   WAR  367 

would  have  reached  Lexington  in  ample  time,  as  Price 
rested  his  men  for  five  or  six  days  before  beginning  the 
attack. 

On  the  1 8th  Price  seized  the  steamboat  and  then  cut 
Mulligan  off  from  the  river,  thus  leaving  him  without  any 
water  supply  whatsoever.  The  reinforcements  that  came 
the  next  day  to  help  Mulligan  were  unable  to  be  of  any 
assistance,  and  therefore  landed  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river.  After  an  almost  continuous  bombardment  for 
two  days,  Price  made  a  general  assault,  his  men  rolling 
before  them  large  bales  of  hemp  thoroughly  dampened  to 
resist  hot  shot,  and  under  the  cover  of  these  they  were 
able  to  advance  right  up  to  Mulligan's  works.  By 
that  time  the  besieged  men  were  dying  with  excessive 
thirst  under  a  broiling  hot  sun,  and  to  avoid  useless  blood 
shed  Mulligan  surrendered  on  September  2 1 .  The  losses 
on  both  sides  were  very  small,  only  40  killed  and  120 
wounded  on  the  Federal  side,  and  only  20  killed  and  75 
wounded  on  the  Confederate  side.  These  small  losses 
were  due  to  the  effective  entrenchments  of  Mulligan  and 
the  movable  breastworks  of  Price. 

As  soon  as  the  Federal  patrol  of  the  Missouri  River  2.  Return  of 
was  broken  at  Lexington,  a  great  many  Southern  sym- 
pathizers  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State  flocked  across 
to  join  Price.  Unfortunately  for  the  Southern  cause, 
however,  Price  was  not  able  to  maintain  himself  at 
Lexington,  and  so  on  September  30  he  set  out  again  for 
southwest  Missouri,  thus  leaving  the  Federals  once  more 
in  control  of  the  Missouri  River. 

Two  reasons  may  be  assigned  for  Price's  return  to  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  State.  First,  Fremont  had 
become  alarmed  lest  Price  should  attempt  to  move  down 
the  river  to  Jefferson  City  and  try  to  recover  that  place. 
He  had  therefore  sent  an  army  of  about  20,000  toward 
Springfield  and  had  gone  in  person  with  his  bodyguard 
to  Jefferson  City  to  see  what  could  be  done  in  the  way  of 
warding  off  any  possible  attack  upon  it  by  Price.  Mere 


368 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.    Plans  of 
Fremont  in 
the 
Southwest 


military  precaution  would  therefore  cause  Price  to  fall 
back  to  southwest  Missouri,  where  he  could  at  least  be  in 
easy  communication  with  McCulloch.  Second,  Governor 
Jackson  had  called  the  legislature  to  meet  in  extra  session 
at  Neosho  on  October  21,  and  Price  doubtless  felt  that 
that  body  needed  protection  against  Federal  interference. 
At  any  rate,  Price  left  Lexington  on  September  30, 
and  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  he  was  once  more  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  State.1 

By  the  latter  part  of  October  Fremont  had  assembled 
at  Springfield  an  army  of  40,000  men  with  which  he  hoped 
to  accomplish  great  wonders.  First,  he  planned  to 
capture  or  disperse  the  forces  of  Price ;  then  to  move 
against  Little  Rock  and  Memphis  and  ultimately  New 
Orleans.  He  had  the  assurance  to  believe  he  could 
easily  accomplish  all  these  things ;  but  before  he  could 
begin  to  put  into  execution  the  first  of  them,  he  was 
removed  from  command.  The  way  in  which  he  had 
allowed  Lyon  to  be  defeated  at  Wilson's  Creek  and 
Mulligan  at  Lexington  proved  to  be  too  much  for  the 
authorities  at  Washington,  and  he  was  removed.  This 
occurred  on  November  2.  General  Hunter,  who  was 
installed  in  his  place,  ordered  the  Federal  forces  to  fall 
back  to  Rolla  and  Sedalia,  greatly  to  the  relief  of  Price 
and  his  men.  For  the  next  three  months  Price's  army 
" lived  at  their  ease"  in  and  around  Springfield  with  no 
one  to  disturb  them. 

Meanwhile  two  very  important  political  events  had 
taken  place.  The  first  of  these  was  the  reconvening  of 
the  State  convention  which,  as  we  have  seen,  had  ad 
journed  on  March  22  subject  to  the  call  of  its  executive 

1  Price  left  a  guard  of  500  men  at  Lexington  in  charge  of  Mulligan's 
officers,  who  had  been  taken  as  prisoners  on  the  capture  of  that  place. 
On  October  16  this  guard  was  surprised  by  an  attack  made  by  a 
company  of  Prairie  Scouts  and  was  badly  scattered.  After  liberating 
the  prisoners  the  Scouts  marched  to  join  Fremont,  who  was  moving 
to  the  southwestern  part  of  the  State. 


THE   CIVIL   WAR  369 

committee.     Acting  under  the  authority  thus  conferred  Estabiish- 
upon  it,  this  committee  called  the  convention  to  assemble  JSIvisional 
at  Jefferson  City  on  July  22.     In  another  chapter  special  Government 
attention  will  be  given  to  the  things  done  at  this  session  convention 
of  the  convention ;  all  that  needs  to  be  noted  here  is  that 
on  July  30  it  declared  all  the  State  offices  vacant,  and 
elected   Hamilton  R.  Gamble  as  governor,  and  Willard 
P.    Hall,    lieutenant    governor.      It    also    declared    the 
seats  of  all  the  members  of  the  legislature  vacant  and 
set  a  time  for  the  election  of  their  successors.     By  this 
action  of  the  convention  a  provisional  government  was 
set  up  in   Missouri  with   headquarters  at   St.   Louis  in 
place  of  the  one  that  had  been  elected  by  the  people  in 
1860.     Although  Governor  Jackson  and  Lieutenant  Gov 
ernor  Reynolds  tried  to   maintain  their  authority,  they 
were  powerless  to  enforce  their  orders.     Real  authority 
had   passed   to   the  convention  and   the  officers  created 
by  it. 

The  second  of  these  important  political  events  was  the  Declaration 
special   session   of    the    legislature    held   at    the   call   of  £fy^ession 
Governor  Jackson  at   Neosho  on   October   21.     Only  a  Legislature 
portion  of  the  members  attended.     Perhaps  there  was 
not    a    quorum    of    either    house    in    attendance.     Not 
withstanding  that  fact,  those  who  assembled  proceeded 
to  pass  an  act  declaring  that  Missouri  had  seceded  from 
the    Union.      It    also    elected    two    senators    and    eight 
representatives  to  represent  Missouri  in  the  Confederate 
Congress.      In   taking    this   action   the    legislature   was 
guilty  of  a  double  illegality.     In  the  first  place,  no  quorum 
was  present,  and  in  the  second  place,  the  matter  of  the 
relation  of  Missouri  to  the  Federal  Union  had  been  con 
signed  to  the  convention. 

In  defense  of  the  legislature's  action  it  was  said  that 
conditions  had  changed  since  the  convention  had  been 
elected  in  February  and  that  sentiment  in  favor  of 
secession  had  been  gaining  in  the  State.  Hence  the 
legislature  was  justified  in  the  minds  of  a  great  many 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


Pea  Ridge 
Campaign 


i.  Price's 
Appeal  for 
Reenforce- 
ments 


people  in  declaring  that  the  State  had  withdrawn  from 
the  Union.  At  any  rate,  the  Confederate  Congress 
recognized  what  had  been  done  by  the  legislature  of 
Missouri,  and  the  State  was  formally  admitted  into  the 
Southern  Confederacy  on  November  28,  1861.  There 
after  Missouri  was  regularly  represented  in  the  Confederate 
Congress. 

But  the  action  of  the  legislature  in  declaring  the  se 
cession  of  Missouri  from  the  Union  was  futile  so  long  as 
there  was  a  strong  military  force  in  the  State  to  render 
that  declaration  ineffective.  It  was  therefore  necessary 
that  something  be  done  to  clear  the  State  of  that  force. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  Federal  authorities  felt  that  every 
effort  should  be  put  forth  to  prevent  any  recovery  of 
military  advantage  on  the  part  of  those  who  had  been 
plotting  to  take  Missouri  out  of  the  Union,  and  especially 
to  put  an  end  to  the  efforts  of  the  Confederacy  to  bring 
military  assistance  into  the  State.  These  opposing 
policies  make  clear  the  military  movements  of  the  next 
few  months  that  culminated  in  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge, 
Arkansas,  on  March  6-8,  1862. 

We  saw  a  moment  ago  that  Price  had  established  him 
self  at  Springfield  early  in  November,  1861,  after  the 
withdrawal  of  the  Federal  troops  to  Rolla  and  Sedalia, 
and  had  apparently  thought  to  settle  down  there  for  the 
winter.  But  Price  realized  that  a  great  crisis  was  impend 
ing  and  he  sought  to  get  ready  for  it  by  making  a  special 
appeal  for  help.  He  prepared  an  appeal  or  proclamation 
that  was  published  as  an  extra  issue  of  the  Missouri  Army 
Argus,  a  paper  which  was  occasionally  published  by  the 
officers  of  his  command  on  a  press  that  accompanied  his 
army.  This  appeal  was  addressed  to  the  "people  of 
central  and  northern  Missouri,"  asking  for  the  immediate 
enlistment  of  50,000  men.  He  reminded  them  how 
Governor  Jackson  had  called  in  June  for  that  many  men 
"to  drive  the  ruthless  invader"  from  Missouri,  and  how 
only  5000  men  had  responded.  In  language  that  was 


THE   CIVIL  WAR  371 

impassioned  and  rather  melodramatic  in  style,  he  urged 
the  people  of  Missouri  to  rally  to  the  cause  of  the  South, 
and  pleaded  for  50,000  immediate  recruits.  He  virtually 
promised  that  every  citizen  who  should  lose  anything  by 
"adhesion  to  the  cause  of  his  country"  would  be  in 
demnified  out  of  "the  $200,000,000  worth  of  Northern 
means  in  Missouri  which  cannot  be  removed." 

In  response  to  this  call  many  men  enlisted,  although 
the  number  did  not  amount  to  50,000  by  any  means. 
Special  efforts  were  made  by  the  Federal  authorities  in 
Missouri  to  prevent  recruits  going  to  Price  from  northern 
and  central  Missouri,  but  nevertheless  many  got  past 
the  patrol  and  reported  to  him  at  Springfield. 

The  crisis  came  upon  Price  much  sooner  than  he  con-   2.  Price's 
templated.     He    scarcely    expected    any    movement    on  ^etreat  mto 

./YrKcinscis 

the  part  of  the  Federals  until  spring,  and  was  therefore 
greatly  surprised  when  General  Curtis  began  to  move 
upon  Springfield  about  the  middle  of  February,  during 
very  inclement  weather.  There  was  nothing  else  for  Price 
to  do  but  to  retreat  before  this  approaching  army.  He 
therefore  fell  back  to  Cassville  and  from  thence  into 
northwestern  Arkansas.  Here  he  was  once  more  joined 
by  McCulloch  and  later  by  Van  Dorn,  who  assumed  com 
mand  of  the  combined  forces.  With  this  army  of  about 
25,000,  of  whom  5000  were  Indians,  Van  Dorn  turned  to  3-  Battle  of 
give  battle  to  Curtis  with  his  10,500,  who  had  taken  up  a 
strong  position  on  what  was  known  as  Pea  Ridge.  For  1862 
three  days,  March  6-8,  the  battle  was  waged  with  ever- 
changing  fortune.  Finally  the  Confederates  were  forced 
to  retreat,  leaving  the  field  to  the  victorious  Federals. 
The  loss  of  the  latter  was  1351  killed,  wounded,  and 
missing.  The  loss  of  the  Confederates  is  not  known,  but 
it  was  probably  much  greater  than  that  of  the  Federals. 
Among  the  killed  on  the  Confederate  side  was  General 
McCulloch. 

In  its  significance  this  battle  outranks  all  the  others 
that  had  yet  taken  place  in  the  history  of  Missouri.  The 


372 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


4.  signifi- 


(a)  On  the 
Situation  in 
Missouri 


(ft)  In  Other 
Fields 


defeat  of  the  Confederates  at  Pea  Ridge  meant  that  the 
act  °^  secessi°n  passed  by  the  rump  legislature  at  Neosho 
the  preceding  October  would  never  be  enforced.  We 
have  seen  how  the  people  of  Missouri  had  decided  through 
a  convention  held  in  February,  1861,  that  there  was  no 
cause  then  for  Missouri  severing  her  relations  with  the 
Federal  Union.  We  have  seen  how  in  spite  of  that 
action  Governor  Jackson  had  plotted  to  take  Missouri 
out  of  the  Union  anyway.  We  have  seen  how  in  the 
contest  of  arms  in  Missouri  the  advantage  lay  first  with 
the  Federals  and  then  with  the  Confederates.  Up  to 
the  time  of  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge  there  was  no  certainty 
as  to  whether  the  Federals  or  the  Confederates  would 
hold  Missouri.  But  after  that  battle  uncertainty  in  this 
matter  was  at  an  end.  The  Confederates  themselves 
abandoned  hope  and  for  two  years  made  no  effort  to  send 
troops  into  Missouri  to  take  her  out  of  the  Union.  Price, 
himself,  with  5000  of  his  Missourians,  was  transferred  to 
the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi  for  service,  and  he  did  not 
return  to  Missouri  to  renew  the  struggle  for  the  State 
until  1864.  Not  that  peace  reigned  in  Missouri  during 
that  time.  As  we  shall  see  in  the  next  chapter,  this 
period  of  two  years  was  one  of  great  distress  and  bitter 
strife  in  Missouri.  But  during  this  time  there  was  no 
concerted  effort,  on  a  large  scale  at  least,  to  take  Missouri 
out  of  the  Union. 

The  second  struggle  for  Missouri  was  closed  by  the 
battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  and,  like  the  first  struggle,  it  was  won 
by  the  Federalists.  Thereafter  "  Missouri  was  as  firmly 
anchored  to  the  Union  as  her  neighbors,  Illinois,  Iowa, 
and  Kansas."  The  battle  for  Missouri  had  been  fought 
and  won. 

The  securing  of  Missouri  to  the  cause  of  the  Union 
had  a  very  important  bearing  upon  the  progress  of  the 
war  in  other  fields,  especially  in  Kentucky.  Like  Missouri, 
Kentucky  was  torn  by  divided  opinions  on  the  question 
of  secession.  She  attempted  at  first  to  take  a  neutral 


THE   CIVIL  WAR  373 

position,  but  she  was  forced  from  that  attitude  by  the 
Confederate  invasion  of  the  State  in  September,  1861. 
This  called  for  military  action  on  the  part  of  the  Federals, 
but  with  Missouri  yet  uncertain  they  were  cautious  about 
concentrating  too  much  attention  upon  Kentucky. 
They  saw  it  would  not  do  to  leave  Illinois  exposed  to 
attacks  from  Missouri.  But  with  Missouri  safely  dis 
posed  of,  as  she  was  by  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  their 
effort  to  drive  the  Confederates  out  of  Kentucky  could 
then  be  taken  up  with  full  vigor.  The  successful  out 
come  of  this  campaign,  however,  is  not  a  part  of  our 
story  here. 

In  this  connection  attention  should  be  called  to  the  Battle  of 
battle  of  Belmont  in  southeastern  Missouri  on  November  Belmont 
7,  1 86 1.  This  battle  was  primarily  a  part  of  the  cam 
paign  to  prevent  Kentucky  from  being  taken  out  of  the 
Union,  but  there  was  a  secondary  purpose  in  this  en 
gagement,  namely,  to  prevent  any  Confederate  troops 
from  entering  Missouri  from  that  direction.  At  that 
time  Price  had  moved  from  Lexington  to  Springfield 
and  was  watching  the  movements  of  the  Federals  that 
Fremont  had  brought  down  into  that  part  of  the  State. 
It  would  have  contributed  greatly  to  Price's  cause  if  a 
serious  diversion  could  have  been  created  in  southeast 
ern  Missouri  just  at  that  time.  That  it  was  not  made 
was  due  to  the  engagement  that  Grant  brought  on  at 
Belmont.1 

REFERENCES 

McElroy,  Struggle  for  Missouri,  pp.  118-342.  Carr,  Missouri, 
pp.  313-341.  Webb,  Biographies  and  Battles  of  Missourians,  chs. 
vi-xi  inclusive.  McCausland,  "The  Battle  of  Lexington  as  Seen 
by  a  Woman,"  in  the  Missouri  Historical  Review  for  April,  1912,  pp. 
227-235.  Snyder,  "The  Capture  of  Lexington,"  in  the  Missouri 
Historical  Review  for  October,  1912,  pp.  1-9. 

1  For  a  brief  account  of  this  affair  and  its  connection  with  the 
campaign  in  Kentucky,  see  Fiske's  Civil  War  in  the  Mississippi 
Valley,  pp.  39-51. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


Price  Enters 
the  Con 
federate 
Service 


i.    Critical 
Situation 
in  the 
South 


2.   Depar 
ture  of 
Price  and 
his  Men 


THE  CIVIL  WAR  — THE  LAST  STRUGGLE  FOR  MISSOURI 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  Surrender  of  Lee  at  Appomattox.j 

IT  was  noted  in  the  preceding  chapter  that  very  shortly 
after  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge  Price  entered  the  Confederate 
service  and  was  transferred  with  5000  of  the  Missouri 
State  Guards  to  the  east  of  the  Mississippi.  Doubtless 
he  and  his  men  would  not  have  taken  this  step  had  they 
not  realized  that  Missouri  had  been  lost  to  the  Confeder 
acy.  The  call  to  the  service  of  the  Confederacy  came  to 
them  while  at  Van  Buren,  Arkansas,  to  which  place  they 
had  retreated  after  the  defeat  at  Pea  Ridge.  The  situa 
tion  at  that  time  was  very  critical  for  the  South.  Grant 
was  pushing  down  toward  Shiloh,  having  taken  Fort 
Henry  and  Fort  Donelson  in  Tennessee  on  February  6  and 
February  16  respectively,  and  it  was  necessary  that  the 
South  should  put  forth  every  effort  to  check  his  progress. 
Urgent  appeals  were  therefore  sent  to  Price  to  render  help 
in  the  coming  crisis.  Price  immediately  put  the  matter 
before  his  men  as  to  what  they  would  do,  and  most  of  them 
decided  to  go  with  him  into  the  Confederate  service. 
But  a  goodly  number  preferred  to  return  to  Missouri  and 
do  all  they  could  there  toward  mustering  recruits  for  the 
Confederate  army.  Probably  they  felt  that  Missouri 
might  yet  be  severed  from  the  Union,  and  they  were 
anxious  to  have  a  share  in  bringing  that  about. 

Leaving  those  who  preferred  to  return  to  Missouri  at 
Van  Buren  under  General  Rains,  Price  with  those  who 
decided  to  go  into  the  Confederate  service  proceeded  from 
thence  to  DesArc,  Arkansas,  on  the  White  River,  and 
here  they  embarked  for  Memphis.  Before  embarking 

374 


THE   CIVIL  WAR 


375 


Price  issued  a  very  strong  appeal  to  the  Missouri  State 
Guards,  calling  upon  all  of  them  to  follow  him  into  the 
Confederate  camp  just  as  5000  of  them  had  done,  promis 
ing  that  "if  every  man  will  do  his  duty  his  own  roof  will 
shelter   him   in   peace   from 
the   storms    of    the    coming 
winter."  1     Not   every  man, 
however,  who  followed  Price 
across  Mississippi  enlisted  for 
an  indefinite  length  of  time. 
Many  were  willing  to  go  with 
him  to  the   relief   of   Beau- 
regard,  who  had  in  the  mean 
while  been  defeated  by  Grant 
at  Shiloh   (April    6-7),    but 
they  insisted  on  being  allowed 
to  return  to  Missouri  when 
ever    they    saw    fit.     These 
men  were  accepted  on  these 
conditions,  and  after  serving 

a  few  weeks  in  northern  Mississippi,  they  made  their  way 
back  to  Missouri.  Among  these  were  Joe  Shelby  and 
John  T.  Hughes. 

On  the  arrival  of  Price  and  his  men  at  Beauregard's  3-  Missouri 
headquarters  near  Corinth,  Mississippi,  they  were  organ 
ized  as  the  First  and  Second  Missouri  Brigades.  With 
the  career  of  these  brigades  during  the  rest  of  the  war 
we  cannot  be  concerned  here ;  but  it  should  be  said  that 
they  remained  together  down  to  the  close  of  the  war, 
' '  firing  their  last  gun  at  Fort  Blakeley  on  the  shores  of  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico"  on  April  9,  1865,  the  very  day  on  which 
Lee  surrendered  to  Grant  at  Appomattox.  They  went 
into  the  Confederate  service  about  5000  strong,2  but  only 

1  This  appeal  was  dated  April  8,  1862. 

2  The  original  5000  that  Price  took  with  him  were  almost  im 
mediately  increased  to  8000.     The  number  probably  never  ran  above 
that  at  any  one  time. 


GENERAL  JOE  SHELBY 

Famous  among  the  Confederate 
Generals  of  Missouri. 


Brigades 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

800  survived  the  numerous  combats  in  which  they  were 
engaged,  and  half  of  these  survivors  were  in  hospitals  sick 
or  wounded  when  the  war  closed.  Probably  few  armies 
can  show  such  a  record  of  mortality  as  did  that  of  the 
Missouri  brigades  in  the  Confederate  service. 

Skirmishes  The  withdrawal  of  Price  from  Missouri  was  not  fol- 
betw^the  lowed>  however,  by  a  period  of  peace  throughout  the  State. 
Federals  As  has  been  said,  the  two  years  or  more  that  intervened 

Confederate   between  the  battle  of  Pea  Rid§e  in  March,   1862,  and 

Recruiting      Price's  great  raid  in  October  and  November,  1864,  were 

Parties          filled  with  numerous  skirmishes  and  battles.     None  of 

them  was  of  the  same  class  or  order  as  Wilson's  Creek 

or  Pea  Ridge,  but  nevertheless  they  served  to  keep  the 

State  in  almost  constant  turmoil. 

Many  of  these  engagements  during  this  period  of  two 
years  were  between  the  Federals  and  bands  of  recruits 
trying  "to  go  south."  A  large  number  of  these  bands 
were  organized  by  Price's  men  who  had  declined  to  follow 
him  into  the  Confederate  service  and  had  preferred  to 
return  to  Missouri.  In  all  probability  some  of  them  came 
back  to  Missouri  for  that  purpose  at  the  express  sugges 
tion  of  Price.  However  that  may  have  been,  we  know  that 
during  the  spring  and  summer  of  1862  recruiting  camps 
sprang  up  in  many  parts  of  Missouri,  especially  in  the 
northern  and  central  parts,  and  that  generally  the  leaders 
of  these  camps  were  successful  in  getting  considerable 
bodies  of  men  together  to  join  the  Confederate  service. 

As  soon  as  it  became  known  to  the  Federal  authorities 
that  recruiting  was  going  on  in  the  State,  they  sent  out 
expeditions  against  these  recruiting  camps  and  stations 
to  try  to  break  them  up.  In  fact,  most  of  the  camps  were 
broken  up  or  the  recruiting  parties  were  scattered,  so  that 
the  scheme  of  sending  men  south  in  large  numbers  was 
not  very  successful.  This  is  not  the  place  to  present  even 
in  the  merest  outline  the  history  of  these  clashes  between 
the  Federals  and  the  Confederate  recruiting  parties,  but  a 
few  words  may  be  said  about  the  battles  of  Kirksville, 


THE   CIVIL  WAR 


377 


Kirksville, 
Aug.  6,  1862 


Independence,  and  Lone  Jack,  all  of  which  were  occa 
sioned  by  the  pursuit  of  Confederate  recruiting  parties  by 
the  Federals. 

The  battle  of  Kirksville  (August  6,  1862)  resulted  in  the  i.  Battle  of 
breaking  up  of  the  recruiting  campaign  that  had  been 
carried  on  by  Colonel  Joseph  C.  Porter  in  northeastern 
Missouri   during   the   preceding  three   or  four  months. 
Porter  had  been  elected  lieu 
tenant  colonel  of  a  regiment 
raised   in   Lewis   County   in 
July,  1 86 1,  and  had  taken  an 
active  part  in  the  campaign 
in   Missouri  that  year,   and 
had  also  been  with  Price  at 
Pea  Ridge.     He  was  among 
those  who  declined  to  follow 
Price   into   the   Confederate 
service  after  the  battle  of  Pea 
Ridge,    and    came    back    to 
Lewis  County  and  established 

a  recruiting  camp  there  dur-  COLONEL  (LATER  GENERAL)  JOHN 
ing  April  or  May,  1862.  By 
the  first  of  July  the  Federals 
discovered  what  Porter  was 
doing  and  took  steps  to  break 
up  his  camp.  As  most  of 
Porter's  men  were  unarmed 
he  was  in  no  position  to 

withstand  any  large  force,  and  so  his  plan  was  to  keep  out 
of  the  way  of  those  pursuing  him.  For  nearly  a  month  he 
was  able  to  keep  up  an  almost  constant  marching  up  and 
down  northeastern  Missouri,  with  an  occasional  skirmish, 
before  being  overtaken  by  Colonel  John  H.  McNeil  at 
Kirksville.  By  that  time  he  had  brought  together  nearly 
2000  men,  but  as  not  more  than  500  of  them  were  armed 
they  were  no  match  for  the  Federal  forces  when  the  latter 
overtook  them.  The  result  was  that  Porter's  men,  after 


of     the 

at  Kirksville  on 
August  6,  1862.  He  is  more  gener 
ally  known  for  causing  the  execution 
of  ten  Confederate  prisoners  at 
Palmyra  on  August  18,  1862,  which 
is  commonly  known  as  the  "  Palmyra 
Massacre." 


378  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

making  several  hours'  stand  against  great  odds  at  Kirks- 
ville,  were  forced  to  flee  in  great  disorder  into  the  Chariton 
hills  west  of  the  town .  Although  Porter  tried  to  reassemble 
his  men,  subsequent  clashes  with  the  Federals  in  Macon 
County  forced  him  to  give  up  the  attempt  entirely. 
Thus  ended  probably  the  most  noted  effort  to  enlist  Con 
federate  recruits  in  northeast  Missouri  after  the  battle 
of  Pea  Ridge. 
2.  Battles  of  The  battles  of  Independence  (August  n,  1862)  and 

ence^Ti".       Lone  Jack   (August    l6>    l862)   were  brought  about    by 
ii,  1 86 2)  and   efforts  to  recruit  Confederate  soldiers  in  Jackson  County. 

(Aug/i^       After  the  defeat  at   Pea   RidSe>    Colonel   Upton    Hayes 
1862)  came  back  to  Jackson  County  and  in  July  established  a 

recruiting  camp  near  Lee's  Summit.  By  August  first 
he  had  gathered  150  men  at  this  camp.  At  that  time 
there  was  a  Federal  force  at  Independence  under  Colonel 
James  T.  Buel,  and  as  soon  as  he  heard  what  Hayes  was 
doing,  he  decided  to  send  to  Kansas  City  and  Lexington 
for  reinforcements  and  then  break  up  the  camp.  But 
before  these  reinforcements  could  reach  Buel,  he  was 
attacked  by  a  large  Confederate  force  which  included  that 
of  Hayes  and  that  of  Colonel  Hughes,  who  was  on  his 
way  to  recruit  in  Clinton  County,  north  of  the  Missouri 
River,  and  also  that  of  Quantrell,  the  most  noted  of  the 
Missouri  guerrillas.  The  result  was  that  Buel  was  cap 
tured  and  the  Federal  post  at  Independence  was  broken 
up.  At  Lone  Jack  the  united  forces  of  several  recruiting 
officers,  among  whom  was  Colonel  Vard  Cockrell,  attacked 
Major  Foster  in  an  engagement  that  was  noted  for  its 
desperateness.  Although  neither  side  could  claim  a  clear- 
cut  victory,  the  Confederates  were  compelled  to  retreat 
southward  on  hearing  of  the  approach  of  a  large  Federal 
force.  In  fact,  they  were  soon  driven  completely  out  of 
the  State  into  Arkansas. 

Discontent          Other    engagements    between    Confederate    recruiting 

in  Missouri    bands  that  were  trying  to  go  south  might  be  related,  but 

these  are  sufficient  to  give  us  a  glimpse  into  what  was  going 


THE   CIVIL  WAR  379 

on.  Statistics  are  not  available  to  show  just  how  many 
Missourians  went  into  the  Confederate  service  through 
these  recruiting  expeditions,  but  the  fact  that  large  num 
bers  were  drawn  into  these  camps  and  were  ready  to  go 
south  indicates  that  there  must  have  been  considerable 
discontent  with  the  situation  in  Missouri.  If  we  seek 
for  the  causes  for  this  discontent  we  shall  find  them  not 
only  in  the  "sympathy  with  the  people  of  the  South  and 
the  cause  for  which  they  fought,"  but  also  in  such  acts 
of  the  provisional  government  of  Missouri  as  the  order 
issued  by  Governor  Gamble  enrolling  every  man  of  military  i.  Governor 
age  in  the  State  militia  and  authorizing  General  Schofield,  ^litary3 
who  was  then  in  command  of  the  department  of  Missouri,  Order 
to  call  into  the  Federal  service  as  many  of  the  militia  as  he 
would  need  to  put  down  marauding  and  to  preserve  peace. 
"The  order  was  somewhat  indefinite;  it  was  generally 
supposed  to  be  preliminary  to  a  draft,  and  it  was  looked 
upon  by  the  Southern  sympathizers  as  betraying  an 
intention  on  the  part  of  the  State  and  the  Federal  author 
ities  to  force  them  into  the  army  and  make  them  fight 
against  their  friends  and  relatives  in  the  South.  They 
also  regarded  it  as  a  violation  by  the  State  of  the  implied 
bargain  which  had  been  entered  into  when  they  were  dis 
armed  and  obliged  under  penalty  of  arrest  and  imprison 
ment  to  take  an  oath  not  to  bear  arms  against  the  United 
States  or  the  provisional  government  of  Missouri  and  to 
give  a  bond  for  the  faithful  observance  of  the  oath.  They 
held,  and  with  some  measure  of  justice,  that  in  effecting 
this  bond,  as  had  generally  been  done  throughout  the 
State,  the  government  had  recognized  them  as  non- 
combatants  ;  and  they  resolved  that  if  they  must  take  a 
part  in  the  war,  they  would  choose  the  side  upon  which 
they  were  to  fight.  Hence,  as  General  Schofield  admitted, 
the  first  effect  of  this  measure  was  to  cause  every  rebel 
who  could  possess  himself  of  a  weapon  to  spring  to  arms, 
whilst  thousands  of  others  ran  to  the  brush  to  avoid  the 
required  enrollment." 


38o 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


2.   Inter 
ference 
of  the 
Militia 


(a)  Responsi 
bility  of 
Subordinate 
Officials  for 
Outrages 


In  addition  to  Governor  Gamble's  military  order  we 
must  take  note  of  the  constant  interference  of  the  State 
militia  with  unoffending  citizens,  especially  with  those 
who  were  looked  upon  as  sympathizers  with  the  South,  if 
we  are  to  understand  why  recruiting  for  the  Confederate 
service  was  popular  in  Missouri  during  the  summer  of 
1862.  Leaving  out  of  consideration  those  cases  of  mili 
tary  interference  that  affected  the  entire  State  and  "con 
fining  ourselves  to  those  that  involved  crimes  against 
a  class  or  against  individuals,  they  will  be  found  to  run 
the  entire  gamut  —  ranging  from  arbitrary  arrest  and 
imprisonment  of  men  and  women  for  mere  opinion's  sake 
to  the  murder  of  prisoners  ;  from  the  illegal  requisition  of 
unnecessary  supplies  by  irresponsible  parties  to  robberies, 
pillage,  and  arson. 

"To  a  great  extent  these  lawless  proceedings  were  in 
violation  of  orders,  and  it  would  therefore  be  unjust  to 
hold  the  department  commanders  or  the  administration 
at  Washington  responsible  for  them.  They  were  the  acts 
of  subordinates,  and  it  is  fair  to  add  that  as  a  rule  they 
resulted  from  ignorance  and  an  excess  of  zeal  rather  than 
from  a  spirit  of  wantonness  or  the  desire  of  personal  gain. 
By  some  curious  process  the  average  military  officials, 
especially  those  from  other  states,  appeared  to  have  satis 
fied  themselves  that  Missouri  was  disloyal ;  and  acting 
upon  this  conviction,  and  ignorant  perhaps  of  the  fact  that 
there  was  such  a  thing  as  military  law,  they  not  infre 
quently  conducted  themselves  in  a  manner  that  would 
hardly  have  been  justifiable  in  an  enemy's  country. 
Instead  of  discharging  the  delicate  duties  of  their  office 
in  such  a  way  as  to  give  as  little  offense  as  possible,  they 
acted  as  if  it  were  the  policy  to  exasperate  the  people 
among  whom  they  were  stationed  and  drive  them  into 
the  rebel  army  or,  worse  still,  into  some  wild  and  preda 
tory  band  of  guerrillas.  In  this,  unfortunately  for  the 
State,  they  were  too  often  successful." 

The  memory  of  the  outrages  committed  by  the  military 


THE   CIVIL  WAR  381 

upon  unoffending  citizens  has  been  the  hardest  to  out-   (ft)  Bitter- 
live  of  all  the  bitter  memories  of  the  war  in  Missouri,   confederates 
Many  a  young  man  was  driven  into  the  Confederate  toward  the 
service  or  to  the  brush  because  he  had  been  compelled  to  State  Mllltia 
witness  in  utter  helplessness  the  perpetration  of  awful 
outrages  upon  his  family  or  neighbors,  and  naturally  the 
memory  of  these  wrongs  rankled  in  his  soul.     Hard  feel 
ing  in  its  bitterest   form  lingered   longest  against   those 
who  served  in  the  State  militia.     For  the  Federal  soldier 
who  fought  in  the  open  against  armed  forces,  the  Con 
federate   soldier   had   great   respect ;    but   for   the   State 
militiamen  who   remained  at   home  and  skulked    about 
over  the  country  taking  vengeance  upon  unarmed  men 
and   helpless  women   and  children,  he  had  nothing  but 
the  greatest  contempt  and  the  bitterest  hatred,  and  for 
years  after  the  war  he  continued  to  hold  against  these 
men  the  same  feelings. 

The  situation  was  made  all  the  more  distressing  in  Renewal  of 
Missouri  by  the  renewal  of  the  strife  along  the  western 
border.  We  have  seen  how,  after  three  or  four  years  of 
turmoil,  quiet  and  order  were  being  restored  on  the  border 
at  the  close  of  the  year  1860,  thanks  to  the  cooperative 
efforts  of  the  governors  of  Missouri  and  Kansas.  But  on 
the  outbreak  of  the  war  these  border  troubles  were  re 
newed  in  a  form  more  violent  than  ever. 

The  most  prominent  leader  of  the  Kansas  Freebooters 
was  "Jim"  Lane.  We  saw  how  he  was  driven  out  of  the 
State  by  Price  in  1861  while  moving  northward  to  Lexing 
ton  after  the  battle  of  Wilson's  Creek.  But  Price  had  no 
more  than  begun  his  attack  upon  Lexington  when  Lane 
and  his  men  were  back  in  Missouri  again,  making  for 
Osceola,  which  they  looted  and  burned  on  September  23, 
besides  killing  a  score  of  people.  Shortly  afterward  they 
sacked  Butler  and  Parkville  in  like  manner. 

It  was  not  long  before  western  Missouri  was  infested   i.  Kansas 
with  bands  of  robbers  from  Kansas  known  as  "Red  Legs"   "Red  Legs> 
from  the  red  morocco  leggings  which  they  wore.     It  was 


382  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

"  their  custom  to  dash  into  Missouri  at  intervals,  seize 
horses  and  cattle,  —  not  omitting  other  and  worse  out 
rages  on  occasion,  —  and  then  repair  with  their  booty  to 
Lawrence,  where  it  was  defiantly  sold  at  auction." 

2.  Sacking          Such  conduct   as  this  brought  on   retaliation  at  the 
if  LQuantreU  nan(^s  °^  Missouri  guerrillas,  and  as  the  two  sets  of  out 
laws  preyed  upon  one  another  and  upon  innocent  people 
besides,  matters  grew  constantly  worse  until  they  cul 
minated  in  the  awful  tragedy,  the  sacking  of  Lawrence, 
Kansas,  by  Quantrell,   the  most  daring  and  lawless  of 
Missouri  guerrillas.     This  occurred  on  August  21,  1863. 
Gathering  about  him  250  men  in  Jackson  County,  Quan 
trell  rode  with  them  all  night,  entering  Lawrence  at  the 
break  of  day.     Their  task  was  to  kill  every  man  and  burn 
every  house  in  the  town.     "Riding  through  the  streets 
with  yells  and  curses,  they  shot  down  with  their  revolvers 
every  man  they  encountered  on  the  highway  or  in  the 
houses,  keeping  up  the  shooting  until  there  was  no  longer 
a  man  to  be  found.     The  streets,  banks   and  hotels  were 
rifled  and  then  set  on  fire  and  burned,  together  with  many 
private  dwellings.     General  Lane  was  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Lawrence  at  the  time  and  the  .guerrillas  were  par 
ticularly  desirous  to  kill  him,  but  he  managed  to  escape 
their  vengeance.     When  the  work  of  rapine  and  treachery 
was  completed,  they  galloped  off,  leaving  the  town  in 
flames  and  183  persons  killed  on  the  streets  and  in  the 
burning  houses." 

"Jennison  has  laid  waste  our  houses  !"  more  than  one 
Missourian  shouted  on  the  day  of  the  sack,  "and  Red  Legs 
have  perpetrated  unheard-of  crimes.  We  are  here  for 
revenge  and  we  have  got  it ! " 

3.  "Order  For  this  raid  of  Quantrell  upon  Lawrence,  fearful  re- 
Eieven"         venge  was  taken  upon  the  western  border  of  Missouri  by 

General  Ewing  of  the  Eleventh  Kansas  Infantry  Vol 
unteers  through  his  notorious  "Order  Number  Eleven." 
According  to  this  order  all  persons  then  living  in  Jackson, 
Cass,  and  Bates  counties  and  a  part  of  Vernon  County, 


THE   CIVIL  WAR 


383 


except  those  living  within  one  mile  of  the  limits  of  the 
principal  towns,  were  ordered  to  leave  their  places  of  abode 
within  fifteen  days.  All  those  who  could  prove  to  the 
nearest  military  commander  that  they  were  loyal  citizens 
were  allowed  to  take  up  their  residence  at  any  of  the 
military  stations  in  these  counties  or  in  any  part  of  Kansas 
except  along  the  eastern  border.  All  other  persons  were 
ordered  to  leave  these  counties.  Furthermore,  all  grain 


ORDER  NUMBER  ELEVEN 


From  a  painting  by  Colonel  George  C.  Bingham,  a  member  of  the  staff  of 
General  Thomas  Ewing,  who  issued  the  order.  In  this  scene  is  depicted  some 
thing  of  the  terror  and  distress  that  ensued  in  executing  the  order. 

and  hay  were  to  be  taken  to  the  nearest  military  station, 
where  the  owners  were  to  be  given  certificates  showing 
their  values,  and  all  products  not  so  delivered  were  to  be 
destroyed.  Specific  instructions  were  given  to  the  military 
commanders  in  these  counties  to  execute  this  order 
promptly  and  vigorously. 

Against  this  cruel  order  there  went  up  the  most  pas-   (a)  Execu- 
sionate  and  vehement  protests,  but  they  were  of  no  avail.   Q°^e°f  th° 
Throughout  the  counties   named   it   was  most  pitilessly 
executed,  and  men,  women,  and  children  were  forced  to 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


(b)  Depreda 
tions  of  the 
"Red  Legs" 


(c)  Prairie 
Fires 


(d)  Attempt 
at  Justifica 
tion  of  the 
Order 


flee  from  their  homes  as  best  they  could  to  save  their  lives. 
Unfortunately,  as  is  usually  the  case  in  war,  the  greatest 
hardship  and  suffering  fell  upon  the  women  and  the  children. 
Cass  County  was  almost  completely  depopulated ;  only 
600  of  the  10,000  inhabitants  were  allowed  to  remain,  and 
these  were  crowded  into  military  stations  at  Harrisonville 
and  Pleasant  Hill.  In  Bates  County  there  were  even 
fewer  people  left  than  in  Cass. 

In  addition  to  being  depopulated,  these  counties  were 
ruthlessly  devastated  by  the  Kansas  "  Jayhawkers  "  and 
"  Red  Legs,"  who  came  rushing  in,  ostensibly  to  assist  the 
military  authorities  in  executing  the  order,  but  in  reality 
to  burn,  lay  waste,  and  plunder.  Indeed,  they  did  not  stop 
at  murder ;  many  men  while  in  the  act  of  obeying  the 
order  were  shot  down  by  them. 

Following  upon  this  willful  devastation  came  disastrous 
prairie  fires  which  swept  away  what  the  "  Jayhawkers  " 
left,  and  when  in  1866  the  exiles  began  to  return  to  their 
homes,  they  found  the  roads  and  their  farms  overgrown 
with  weeds,  and  frequently  there  was  nothing  left  of 
their  homes  but  blackened  chimneys.  For  this  reason  the 
term  "Burnt  District"  was  applied  to  Bates  and  Cass 
counties  for  many  years  after  the  war. 

The  justification  that  was  offered  by  those  responsible 
for  this  ruthless  order  was  that  it  was  the  only  way  to  put 
an  end  to  the  guerrilla  warfare  that  was  affecting  the 
border  counties  of  Kansas  and  Missouri.  If  these  Mis 
souri  counties  were  depopulated  and  laid  waste,  the  guer 
rillas,  it  was  said,  would  not  be  able  to  get  the  supplies 
needed  for  such  attacks  as  that  which  had  just  been  made 
upon  Lawrence,  and  hence  border  warfare  would  cease. 
But  no  greater  act  of  imbecility  was  committed  in  Missouri 
during  the  whole  Civil  War  than  the  issuing  and  the 
executing  of  this  order.  It  was  a  confession  on  the  part 
of  the  Federal  commander  that  he  was  unable  or  unwilling 
to  put  down  the  bushwhackers  and  to  keep  out  the  "  Red 
Legs."  Under  the  circumstances  he  should  have  given  up 


THE   CIVIL  WAR  385 

his  command  to  some  one  else  instead  of  resorting  to  meas 
ures  that  entailed  so  much  unmerited  suffering  on  the 
part  of  unoffending  people.1 

Other  instances  of  military  retaliation  on  both  sides  Price's 
might  be  related  here  at  great  length,  but  space  will  not  Raid)  l864 
permit.2     Neither  can  we  take  up  the  petty  raids  made 
into  the  State  in  1863  by  Marmaduke,  Shelby,  Poindexter, 
Jeff  Thompson,  and  others.     We  must  turn  our  attention 
to  the  last  great  military  enterprise  undertaken  in  Missouri 
during  the  war,  namely,  Price's  famous  raid  into  the  State 
in  the  fall  of  1864. 

For  a  year  prior  to  this  raid  Price  had  been  operating  i.  Opera- 
in  Arkansas,  having  been  transferred  to  the  Trans-Mis-  pJJJJjn 
sissippi  department  by  President  Jefferson  Davis  shortly  Arkansas 
before  the  fall  of  Vicksburg  in  July,  1863.     Here  he  was 
made  to  serve  under  men  who  were  not  his  equals  in 
military  capacity.     Some  of  the  operations  in  which  he 
participated  in  Arkansas  were  very  disastrous  to  the  Con 
federates,  as  for  example  the  futile  attack  upon  Helena 

1  No  other  act  during  the  war  in  Missouri  has  been  given  such  wide 
publicity  as  this  "Order  Number  Eleven."     This  was  due  largely 
to  the  artist,  Colonel  Bingham,  who  was  on  Ewing's  staff  at  the  time 
the  order  was  made.     Bingham  claims  that  he  begged  Ewing  not  to 
issue  the  order,  and  that  when  his  pleadings  proved  of  no  avail  he 
declared  he  would  some  day  make  Ewing  infamous.     After  the  war 
Bingham  painted  a  picture  depicting  some  of  the  scenes  that  occurred 
in  the  execution  of  this  order,  and  called  it  "Order  Number  Eleven." 
The  picture  became  very  popular  and  copies  of  it  were  lithographed 
and  sold  throughout  the  country,  especially  in  Missouri. 

Fourteen  years  after  the  event,  General  Schofield  wrote  a  letter 
which  was  published  in  the  St.  Louis  Republican,  claiming  that  Ewing 
was  not  solely  responsible  for  the  order.  He  said  that  the  responsi 
bility  lay  between  himself  and  Ewing  and  President  Lincoln.  He 
also  attempted  at  some  length  to  justify  the  order  and  declared  that 
it  was  enforced  without  causing  any  unwarranted  hardship.  To  this 
Bingham  made  a  spirited  reply  and  related  many  incidents  of  suffer 
ing  which  he  had  witnessed  during  the  execution  of  the  order. 

2  The  Palmyra  massacre  (August   18,   1862)  and  the  Centralia 
massacre  (September  27,  1864)  are  among  the  most  widely  known  of 
the  military  retaliations  that  occurred  in  Missouri  during  the  war. 


386 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


on  July  4,  1863,  but  some  of  the  others  were  very  success 
ful.  It  was  from  the  spoils  of  one  of  these  successful 
campaigns  conducted  in  the  summer  of  1864  that  Price 
was  enabled  to  supply  his  army  with  "transportation, 
small  arms,  artillery,  camp  equipage,  and  ammunition 


2.   Pilot 
Knob  and 
Jefferson 
City 


A!^^;5wj& 

«.^0<"\        \CID*»]L~    L,LI.     v  !'r5"';    :""  "i 


-'"":  i""': 


///IP  ofPmce-jRAiDef  1861 
,>£        xxxxx  Pric&Line  of  March 

Railroactiof  Mo.  in  1864- 


PRICE'S  RAID,  1864 

enough  to  load  three  hundred  wagons,"  and  thus  make 
possible  his  raid  into  Missouri. 

He  entered  Missouri  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
State  with  12,000  men,  and  after  leaving  Doniphan  in 
Ripley  County  on  September  20,  he  marched  in  such  a 
direction  as  to  make  Rosecrans,  who  had  charge  of  the 
Federal  troops  in  Missouri,  think  he  was  going  to  attack 
St.  Louis.  Most  of  the  Federal  troops  had  been  taken 
out  of  the  State  to  assist  Sherman  in  his  Atlanta  campaign, 
so  that  Price  was  able  to  reach  Pilot  Knob,  a  point  half 


THE   CIVIL  WAR 


387 


way  between  the  southern  border  and  St.  Louis,  before 
he  encountered  any  resistance.  In  fact,  Price  was  aware 
of  the  denuded  military  condition  of  Missouri  and  this 
knowledge  had  much  to  do  with  causing  him  to  plan  and 
execute  this  raid.  At  Pilot  Knob  he  was  ineffectively 
opposed  by  General  H.  S.  Ewing,  but  instead  of  going  to 
St.  Louis  as  Rosecrans  had  expected,  he  turned  westward 
on  reaching  Franklin  County  and  marched  toward  Jefferson 
City.  It  was  then  ap 
parent  that  his  object 
was  to  take  the  capital, 
where  Lieutenant  Gov 
ernor  Reynolds  would 
assume  the  position  of 
governor  in  place  of 
Jackson,  who  had  died 
in  December,  1862. 
Reynolds  was  with  Price 
on  this  raid  and  was 
naturally  eager  for  the 
carrying  out  of  the  plan 
that  would  enable  him 
to  assume  the  governor 
ship,  but  he  was  doomed 
to  great  disappoint 
ment.  By  the  order 
of  Rosecrans,  a  large 
Federal  force  had  been  gathered  at  Jefferson  City  from 
different  parts  of  Missouri  for  the  defense  of  that  city. 
Price  immediately  decided  to  pass  around  the  place  and 
go  farther  on  to  the  west.  This  was  on  October  8. 

Within  two  weeks  he  reached  Independence,  having  3-  Westport 
passed  through  Boonville,  Glasgow,  and  Lexington  on  his 
way,  and  engaging  the  enemy  at  the  last  two  places.  His 
line  of  march  west  from  Jefferson  City  was  marked  by  the 
destruction  of  railroads,  telegraph  lines,  and  bridges,  in 
the  accomplishment  of  which  he  was  aided  by  a  number  of 


GENERAL  H.  S.  EWING 

Commander  of  the  "Federal  forces  that  op 
posed  Price  at  Pilot  Knob  during  the  Raid 
of  1864. 


388 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


(a)  Price's 
Advance  to 
Independ 
ence 


(b)  The 
Three  Days' 
Battle 


InOCPENDENCC 


guerrillas,  including  Quantrell,  Anderson,  and  Todd.1  But 
as  he  approached  Independence,  Price  found  himself 
opposed  by  a  force  that  had  been  gathered  there  under 
General  Curtis,  and  at  the  same  time  pursued  by  another 
force  under  General  Pleasanton  that  was  coming  up  on 
his  rear  from  Jefferson  City.  On  October  2 1  he  engaged 
Curtis  on  the  Little  Blue,  a  small  stream  eight  miles  east 
of  Independence,  and  forced  Curtis  to  withdraw  behind 

the  Big  Blue,  west 
of  that  place.  The 
next  day  Price  had 
to  divide  his  forces, 
sending  part  of 
them  against  Cur 
tis  on  the  Big 
Blue  and  holding 
the  rest  to  oppose 
Pleasanton  on  his 
rear.  During  the 
day  he  found  him 
self  in  desperate 
straits  and  escaped 
from  being  crushed 
as  in  a  vise  by  with 
drawing  southward 
from  Independence 
and  taking  up  a 
position  on  Brush  Creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Big  Blue 
just  south  of  Westport.  The  battle  was  renewed  the 
next  day,  with  most  disastrous  results  to  his  army.  In 
great  haste  Price  retreated  southward  into  Arkansas  with 
General  Blunt  in  hot  pursuit,  reaching  Fayetteville  in 
the  northwest  corner  of  that  State  on  November  6.  His 
flight  was  marked  by  great  misery.  "The  pursuit  of 
Blunt  was  relentless ;  the  skirmishes  and  battles  were 

1  Anderson  and  Todd  were  both  killed  while  with  Price  on  this 
raid. 


1ATTLE.  OF 

Position  offerees  on  //l«  ftominao/  Oft  22. 1864 
•I  PRICE'S  ARMY 
CH  CURTIS'  ARMY 


BATTLE  OF  WESTPORT 

On  the  second  day  of  the  battle.     Adapted  from 
a  map  in  Jenkins'  Battle  of  Westport. 


THE   CIVIL  WAR 


389 


implacable;  the  route  of  the  retreat  was  strewn  with 
wrecks  of  wagons,  scattered  camp  equipage,  abandoned 
tents,  clothing,  guns,  dead  horses,  and  dead  men,  both 
Federal  and  Confederate." 

In  its  bearing  upon  the  course  of  the  war,  the  battle  of  (c)  West- 
Westport  has  been  called  the  " Gettysburg  of  the  West."   Soett^bur 
"  Barring  only  the  number  engaged  and  the  corresponding  of  the  West 
losses,  the  battles  of  Gettysburg  and  Westport  had  much 
in  common.     Each 
was  the  result  of  a 
campaign  of  inva 
sion  planned  by  the 
Confederate  war 
department  for  the 
purpose  of  severing 
the  Union  territory 
at  the  point  of  at 
tack,  the  one  in  the 
East,  the  other  in 
the    West.      Each 


BATTLE  °'\ 

'ion  offerees  on  thtfforninyo/0c{23,  /d64 

•T    PRICfSARHY 
I — I   CuRTIf'AftMY 

r=j  PLCASAHTON'}  AFMY 


BATTLE  OF  WESTPORT 

On  the  third  day  of  the  battle.     Adapted  from 
a  map  in  Jenkins'  Battle  of  Westport. 


campaign  was 
intended  seriously 
to  embarrass  the 
Federal  defense  by 
necessitating  the 
summoning  of  dis 
tant  forces  to  resist 
the  invasion,  thus  setting  other  Confederate  forces  free 
to  conduct  their  own  lines  of  action.  Each  seriously 
threatened  the  principal  cities  in  the  invaded  territory, 
and  in  each  case  that  territory  was  chosen  for  the  reason 
that  it  contained  places  of  such  importance  —  Wash 
ington,  Baltimore,  and  Philadelphia  in  the  Eastern  cam 
paign  ;  St.  Louis,  Kansas  City,  and  the  important  military 
post  of  Fort  Leavenworth  in  the  Western.  The  engage 
ment  in  which  each  campaign  culminated  occupied  three 
days  of  incessant  fighting,  and  the  defeat  to  the  Confeder- 


390 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


4.    Results 
of  the  Raid 


ate  arms  with  which  each  closed  put  an  end  forever  to 
further  attempts  at  carrying  the  war  northward  in  their 
respective  portions  of  the  Union.  Each  such  defeat 
established  one  of  the  high  tide  marks  of  the  Confederacy, 
the  one  in  the  East,  and  the  other  in  the  West.  And 
finally,  each  period  of  three  days'  conflict  composed,  in 

numbers  and  importance  of 
results  attained,  the  largest 
and  most  decisive  land  battle 
of  the  Civil  War  in  its  respec 
tive  portion  of  the  two  great 
natural  divisions  of  the  United 
States,  the  territories  lying 
respectively  east  and  west  of 
the  Mississippi  River." 

This  raid  was  the  last  effort 
made  by  the  Confederates  to 
carry  the  war  into  Missouri. 
Petty  skirmishing  and  bush 
whacking  continued  down  to 
the  close  of  the  war  in  April, 
1865,  but  no  organized  mili 
tary  effort  was  made  in  Mis 
souri  after  Price  retreated 
from  the  State  in  November, 
1864. 

From  every  point  of  view 
Price's  raid  must  be  consid 
ered  a  failure,  and  probably  no  one  was  more  disappointed 
over  its  outcome  than  Price  himself.  Before  he  entered 
Missouri,  secret  organizations  had  been  established  among 
the  Southern  sympathizers  throughout  the  State  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  recruits  for  him.  One  of  these 
organizations  was  known  as  the  "  American  Knights  of 
the  State  of  Missouri."  Price  depended  considerably 
upon  these  organizations  to  help  him  carry  on  his  raid. 
He  also  expected  that  many  of  the  men  who  had  been 


STATUE  OF 


GENERAL  STERLING 
PRICE 

Recently  erected  at  Keytesville,  Mis 
souri,  the  old  home  of  Price. 


THE   CIVIL   WAR  391 

forced  into  unwilling  service  in  the  State  militia,  which 
was  known  derisively  as  the  "  Pawpaw  Militia,"  would 
rally  to  his  standard.  But,  whatever  his  hopes  were, 
they  were  by  no  means  realized.  Instead  of  the  23,000 
recruits  he  had  been  promised,  no  more  than  6000  men 
joined  his  ranks  as  he  passed  through  the  State.  More 
over,  this  number  of  recruits  was  balanced  by  the  losses 
he  sustained,  so  that  he  gained  nothing  in  the  end  on 
this  score.  In  addition,  his  raid  did  not  prevent  the 
Federals  from  sending  reinforcements  to  Thomas,  who 
was  then  at  Nashville,  nor  did  it  exert  any  considerable 
influence  on  the  Presidential  election  of  that  year.  It 
did,  however,  have  an  effect  on  the  constitutional  con 
vention  elections,  which  were  held  about  the  time  Price 
entered  Missouri,  that  proved  to  be  very  detrimental  to 
the  Southern  sympathizers  in  the  State,  as  we  shall  see 
in  a  later  chapter. 

From  a  purely  military  point  of  view  there  were  no  Missouri 
battles  of  first  rank  in  Missouri  during  the  Civil  War,  but  JJiviTWar 
while  encounters  were  on  a  small  scale  they  were  very 
numerous.     Counting  battles  and  skirmishes,  there  were 
about  450  military  engagements  in  Missouri  during  the'i.  Military 
war.     Many  of  these  engagements  were  skirmishes  be-  ?^?^uri 
tween  the  militia  and  bands  of  Confederate  recruits  who 
were  trying  to  make  their  way  south.     In  fact,  practically 
all  the  engagements  north  of  the  Missouri  River  were  of 
this  sort. 

The  number  of  Missourians  that  entered  either  the  2.  Number  of 
State  Guards  of  Governor  Jackson  or  the  Confederate 
service  can  never  be  known  definitely,  but  it  is  thought 
that  the  total  exceeded  40,000.  On  the  other  hand, 
110,000  Missourians  went  into  the  Federal  service.1  In 
this  regard  Missouri  compares  very  favorably  with  the 
free  states  that  bordered  upon  her  and  even  with  others 
more  remote.  As  we  have  seen,  there  were  236,000  men 
of  military  age  at  the  opening  of  the  war  ;  of  that  number 
1  Of  that  number  14,000  perished  in  battle  or  from  disease. 


3Q2  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

only  seventeen  per  cent  went  into  the  State  Guard  and 
Confederate  service,  while  forty-seven  per  cent  went  into 
the  Federal  service. 

REFERENCES 

Carr,  Missouri,  ch.  xvi.  Webb,  Biographies  and  Battles,  chs. 
xii-xxv  inclusive.  Jenkins,  The  Battle  of  Westport.  The  author  of 
this  book  calls  the  Battle  of  Westport  the  "  Gettysburg  of  the  West," 
and  has  developed  his  account  of  the  engagement  from  that  point 
of  view.  He  is  rather  unfavorable  to  Price.  Mudd,  With  Porter 
in  Northeast  Missouri.  An  account  of  Confederate  recruiting  in 
northeast  Missouri  by  Colonel  Joseph  Porter  during  the  spring  and 
summer  of  1 862 ,  following  the  defeat  of  the  Confederates  at  Pea  Ridge, 
Arkansas,  in  March  of  that  year.  Written  by  one  of  Porter's  men. 
The  following  articles  in  the  Missouri  Historical  Review  deal  with 
the  period  covered  by  this  chapter:  Shoemaker,  "The  Story  of  the 
Civil  War  in  Northeast  Missouri,"  January  and  April,  1913  ;  Grover, 
"Shelby's  Raid,"  April,  1912,  pp.  107-126;  Grover,  "Price's  Cam 
paign  of  1864,"  July,  1912,  pp.  167-181  ;  Violette,  "Battle  of  Kirks- 
ville,"  January,  1911,  pp.  91-111. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE   PROVISIONAL    GOVERNMENT    OF    MISSOURI  —  ITS 
PROBLEMS   AND    DIFFICULTIES 

[Historical  Setting.  — •  The  Adoption  of  the  Thirteenth 
Amendment.] 

IT  will  be  recalled  that  as  Lyon  was  advancing  from  St.  Governor 
Louis  to  Jefferson  City  in  June,  1861,  Governor  Jackson  j^dons 
and    other    State    officials    abandoned    Jefferson    City,   Jefferson 
going  first  to  Boonville,  where  they  were  overtaken  and  Clty 
defeated  by  Lyon,  and  then  later  to  the  southern  part  of 
the  State.     Leaving  Price,  who  had  been  placed  in  com 
mand  of   the   State   Guards,   to   take   up   the   work  of 
organizing  these  troops  for  active  resistance  against  the 
Federal  forces  that  were  coming  down  upon  them,  Jack 
son  made  his  way  to  Memphis  to  seek  military  assistance 
at  the  hands  of  the  Confederate  authorities  there.1 

Assuming  that  the  State  of  Missouri  was  then  without  Provisional 
any  established  government,  the  State  convention  which 
had  adjourned  its  first  session  on  March  22,  1861,  subject 
to  the  call  of  the  executive  committee,  was  reconvened 
at  Jefferson  City  on  July  22  to  consider  what  should  be 
done.     It  was  found  that  about  twenty  of  the  ninety-   i.  Second 
nine  members  had  joined  the  State  Guards  and  gone  into  ^eSCon-f 
the  southern  part  of  the  State,  among  whom  was  Sterling  vention 
Price,  the  president  of  the  convention.     The  convention 
was  therefore  called  to  order  by  the  vice  president,  Mr. 
Robert  Wilson,  who  was  thereupon  made   president  in 
place  of  Price. 

1  Governor  Jackson  started  for  Memphis  on  July  12,  1861. 
393 


394 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


The  convention  then  proceeded  to  set  up  a  provisional 
government  for  Missouri.  It  first  declared  the  offices  of 
governor,  lieutenant  governor,  and  secretary  of  state 

vacant,  and  then  elected 
Hamilton  R.  Gamble  as 
governor ; 1  Willard  P.  Hall, 
lieutenant  governor;  and 
Mordecai  Oliver,  secretary 
of  state.  These  men  were 
to  hold  office  until  November, 
1 86 1,  when  their  successors 
were  to  be  elected.  The  con 
vention  also  declared  the 
seats  of  the  members  of  the 
legislature  vacant,  and  or 
dered  that  an  election  of 
HAMILTON  R.  GAMBLE  members  to  fill  them  should 

War  Governor  of  Missouri,  1861-64.  also  be  held  in  November.2 

1  Hamilton  Rowan  Gamble  was  a  Virginian  by  birth.     He  came 
to  Missouri  in  1818,  when  only  20  years  of  age,  and  began  the  prac 
tice  of  law.     He  rose  very  rapidly  in  this  profession  and  soon  became 
one  of  the  leading  lawyers  in  St.  Louis.     In  1846  he  was  elected  to 
the  legislature  and  in  1851  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  supreme 
court  of  Missouri  by  a  majority  of  40,000,  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  he  was  a  member  of  the  Whig  party,  which  was  far  from  being 
a  strong  party  in  Missouri  at  the  time.     He  resigned  this  position 
in  1855  and  returned  to  the  practice  of  law.     In  1858  he  moved  to 
Philadelphia  to  educate  his  children,  and  was  still  there  when  the 
Civil  War  clouds  began  to  gather.     When  the  Missouri  legislature 
passed   an   act  calling  a   State  convention  to  consider  Missouri's 
relation  to  the  Union,  Gamble  came  home  at  once  and  placed  him 
self  squarely  against  all  secession  sentiment.     He  was  chairman  of 
the  committee  of  the  convention  which  reported  that  there  was  no 
occasion  for  Missouri  severing  her  relations  with  the  Union,  and  when 
later  the  convention  declared  the  office  of  governor  vacant  he  was 
elected  to  fill  it.     The  arduous  labors  of  this  office  literally  wore  him 
out,  and  he  died  on  January  31,  1864. 

2  The  election  of  these  State  officers  and  the  members  of  the 
legislature  was  postponed  twice,  first  to  August,  1862,  and  then  to 
August,  1864. 


THE   PROVISIONAL  GOVERNMENT  OF  MISSOURI     395 

In  addition  to  these  matters,  the  convention  repealed  the 
militia  law  and  the  law  creating  a  fund  to  arm  the  militia, 
both  of  which  had  been  passed  by  the  legislature  in  May, 
shortly  before  adjourning.  After  adopting  an  address 
to  the  people  of  Missouri  which  had  been  drafted  by 
Governor  Gamble,  the  convention  adjourned  on  July  31 
to  meet  when  necessity  should  require.1 

The  action  taken  by  the  convention  which  created  the  2.  signifi- 
pro visional  government  is  highly  significant.  Strictly  ^tion^/die 
speaking,  the  convention  had  no  legal  authority  to  do  what  Convention 
it  had  just  done.  It  had  been  elected  to  determine  what 
Missouri  should  do  with  reference  to  secession,  and  it  had 
no  commission  from  the  people  to  set  up  a  new  State 
government.  As  we  have  seen,  Governor  Jackson  and 
the  legislature  were  decidedly  in  favor  of  secession  and 
were  greatly  surprised  and  disappointed  when  not  a  single 
out-and-out  secessionist  had  been  elected  to  the  con 
vention.  Notwithstanding  the  stand  which  the  people 
had  taken  against  secession,  the  governor  and  the  legis 
lature  were  conspiring  to  take  Missouri  out  of  the  Union. 
Under  these  circumstances  there  was  nothing  else  for 
those  who  were  opposed  to  secession  to  do  but  to  support 
the  provisional  government  which  the  convention  had 
established. 

But  there  were  many  difficult  problems  which  this  pro-  Problems 

visional  government  had  to   solve.     First  of  all,   there  J?  thf . 

Provisional 

was  the  question  of  the  regularly  elected  "  Jackson  gov-  Government 
ernment "  which  tried  to  maintain  itself  for  some  time, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  it  had  been  run  out  of  the  capital. 
After  the  military  successes  of  1861  at  Wilson's  Creek 
(August  10)  and  at  Lexington  (September  20),  Governor 
Jackson  called  the  legislature  to  meet  at  Neosho  on 
October  21.  It  seems  very  evident  that  only  a  minority 
of  both  houses  met  in  response  to  this  call.  But,  in  spite 
of  that  fact,  "an  act  to  dissolve  the  political  connection 

1  It  should  be  noted  here  that  these  events  occurred  as  the  battle 
of  Wilson's  Creek  (August  10,  1861)  was  impending. 


396 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


i.    The 
"  Jackson 
Govern 
ment  " 


2 .   Revenue 


3.    Militia 


between  the  State  of  Missouri  and  the  United  States  of 
America"  was  passed  by  the  legislature,  and  due  notifi 
cation  of  the  passage  of  the  same  was  sent  to  the 
Confederate  government.1  The  legislature  met  again  at 
Cassville  for  a  few  days  early  in  November  of  that  year, 
but  after  that  it  never  convened  again.  The  turn  of 
military  fortune  that  came  to  the  Federals  with  the  battle 
of  Pea  Ridge  in  March,  1862,  forced  the  "  Jackson  gov 
ernment  "  to  discontinue  its  effort  to  maintain  itself. 

Then  there  was  the  problem  of  getting  revenue  with 
which  to  run  the  provisional  government.  The  treasury 
was  empty,  and  it  was  impossible  to  collect  taxes.  Owing 
to  the  confusion  that  prevailed  throughout  the  State, 
as  the  time  set  by  the  convention  for  the  election  of 
State  officers  and  members  of  the  legislature  drew  near, 
it  was  deemed  advisable  to  assemble  the  convention  again. 
Governor  Gamble  accordingly  issued  a  call  for  the  con 
vention  to  meet  in  St.  Louis  on  October  10,  1861. 
After  passing  an  ordinance  changing  the  time  of  holding 
the  above-mentioned  election  from  November,  1861,  to 
August,  1862,  the  convention  took  up  the  problem  of 
finance  and  decided  that  the  best  way  to  solve  it  was  to 
economize  and  to  borrow  money.  Accordingly  a  great 
number  of  offices  were  abolished,  the  salaries  of  all  civil 
officers  were  reduced  twenty  per  cent,  and  provisions 
were  made  for  loans. 

The  militia  was  another  very  serious  matter  with  which 
the  Gamble  government  had  to  deal.  The  State  Guards 
had,  of  course,  followed  Jackson  and  Price,  but  the  con 
vention  in  its  third  session  held  in  St.  Louis  in  October, 
1 86 1,  made  provisions  for  the  forming  of  the  loyal  State 
militia,  which  Governor  Gamble  immediately  organized. 
As  the  State  was  without  funds,  the  Federal  government 

1  Governor  Jackson  had  issued  a  Declaration  of  Independence 
while  at  New  Madrid  on  August  5,  1861,  in  which  he  declared  that 
"the  political  connection  between  the  United  States  and  the  people 
and  the  governor  of  Missouri  is  and  ought  to  be  totally  dissolved." 


THE   PROVISIONAL   GOVERNMENT   OF   MISSOURI      397 

furnished  this  militia  with  the  necessary  arms  and  equip 
ment  and  to  a  very  large  extent  directed  all  its  movements 
and  operations.  In  fact,  after  it  had  been  settled  by 
the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge  that  Missouri  would  not  be  taken 
out  of  the  Union  by  force,  most  of  the  Federal  troops 
that  had  been  used  in  Missouri  were  withdrawn  from  the 
State  and  sent  to  other  fields.  Thereafter  the  burden 
of  the  military  work  done  in  the  State  was  laid  upon  the 
State  militia  and  not  upon  regular  United  States  soldiers. 

But  the  most  difficult  questions  which  the  provisional 
government  had  to  face  were,  first,  that  regarding  qualifi 
cations  for  suffrage  and  office-holding,  and  second,  that 
regarding  emancipation,  to  the  consideration  of  which 
we  must  now  give  some  attention. 

If  the  provisional  government  was  to  succeed,  it  was  4.  Qualifi- 
not   only  necessary  to    drive  out  of  the   State   all   the  Cations  for 

.  .  .  Suffrage 

military  forces  that  were  supporting  the  "Jackson  govern-  and  office- 
ment,"  but  it  was  considered  equally  necessary  that  all  holchns 
the  civil  officials  in  the  State  should  support  the  provisional 
government.     The    State    convention,    therefore,    at   its 
third  session  held  in  October,  1861,  passed  an  ordinance   (a)  Ordi- 
providing  that  every  civil  officer  in  the  State  should  pledge  October 
himself  not  to  take  up  arms  against  either  the  government   1861 
of  the  United  States  or  the  provisional  government  of 
the  State,  and  not  to  give  aid  or  comfort  to  the  enemies 
of  either  during  the  war.     Failure  on  the  part  of   any 
officer  to  take  this  oath  within  sixty  days  entailed  for 
feiture  of  his  office.     Many  officials  throughout  the  State 
refused  to  take  this  oath  and  were  expelled  from  office,  and 
loyalists  were  installed  in  their  places.     The  result  was 
that  the  provisional  government  very  shortly  secured  a 
set  of  loyal  civil  officials  throughout  the  State. 

But  it  was  felt  necessary  to  go  one  step  farther  and   (&)  Ordi- 
insure  the  regular  election  of  loyal  officials  by  limiting 
the  suffrage  to  loyalists.     To   that   end  the  convention 
in   its   fourth  session,   held   at   Jefferson   City   in   June, 
1862,  passed  an  ordinance  defining  the  qualifications  of 


398  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

voters  and  civil  officers.  This  ordinance  provided  that 
no  person  should  vote  in  any  election  in  the  State  who 
should  .not  first  take  an  oath  that  he  would  support,  pro 
tect,  and  defend  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  and 
that  of  Missouri ;  that  he  would  bear  true  faith,  loyalty, 
and  allegiance  to  the  United  States  and  would  not  directly 
or  indirectly  give  aid,  comfort,  or  countenance  to  the 
enemies  of  the  government  of  the  United  States  or  of  the 
provisional  government  of  Missouri ;  and  that  he  had  not 
since  December  17,  1861,  willfully  taken  up  arms  or  levied 
war  against  the  United  States  or  the  provisional  govern 
ment  of  Missouri.  This  ordinance  also  provided  that 
a  similar  oath  should  be  taken  by  all  persons  elected  or 
appointed  to  civil  office  in  Missouri,  and  by  all  jurymen 
and  attorneys,  the  president,  the  professors,  and  the 
curators  of  the  University  of  Missouri,  all  bank  officers, 
common-school  teachers  and  trustees,  and  licensed  and 
ordained  preachers. 

It  was  under  this  ordinance  prescribing  the  qualifica 
tion  of  voters  that  three  elections  were  held  in  Missouri, 
one  for  members  of  the  legislature  in  November,  I862,1 
another  for  members  of  the  legislature  and  State  officials 
in  August,  1864,  and  another  for  Presidential  electors  in 
November,  1864.  It  need  not  be  said  that  only  loyalists 
were  elected  at  these  several  elections. 

s.  Emanci-  The  problem  of  emancipation,  however,  proved  the  most 
difficult  to  solve  of  all  the  questions  that  came  before 
the  provisional  government.  The  particular  difficulty 
involved  in  this  problem  was  due  chiefly  to  the  disagree 
ment  that  arose  among  the  loyalists  themselves  as  to 
when  and  how  the  slaves  of  Missouri  should  be  freed. 
But  some  time  before  the  provisional  government  took 
any  action  in  this  matter  an  attempt  had  been  made  to 

1  The  convention  had  decided  at  its  fourth  session  that  the  election 
of  State  officers  should  be  postponed  from  November,  1862,  to 
August,  1864,  thus  giving  them  more  than  three  years  of  rule  under 
no  authority  other  than  election  by  the  convention  in  July,  1861. 


THE  PROVISIONAL   GOVERNMENT  OF   MISSOURI     399 

deal  with  the  question  by  General  Fremont,  who  had  been  (a) Fremont's 
put  in  command  of  the  Federal  troops  in  Missouri  in  fi^clama~ 
July,  1 86 1.  Owing  to  the  disorder  and  turbulence  in 
Missouri  following  upon  the  battle  of  Wilson's  Creek, 
Fremont  issued  a  proclamation  ten  days  after  that  battle, 
declaring  martial  law  throughout  the  State.  According 
to  this  proclamation  all  persons  found  with  arms  within 
the  lines  of  the  army  of  occupation  that  extended  from 
Fort  Leavenworth  to  Cape  Girardeau  should  be  shot ; 
the  property  of  all  persons  within  the  State  who  should 
take  up  arms  against  the  United  States  or  who  should 
take  an  active  part  with  its  enemies  in  the  field  should 
be  confiscated ;  and  furthermore,  the  slaves  of  such  per 
sons,  if  they  should  have  any,  should  be  declared  free. 

The  confiscating  and  manumitting  portion  of  this 
proclamation  occasioned  considerable  excitement  through 
out  the  State,  and  this  was  greatly  increased  when 
Fremont  freed  two  slaves  belonging  to  Colonel  Snead, 
Price's  chief  of  staff.1  The  proclamation  was  at  once 
disapproved  by  Lincoln  as  being  without  warrant  of 
law  and  was  shortly  modified  by  him  so  as  to  bring  it 
within  the  limits  of  the  law. 

During  the  winter  of  1861-62  Lincoln  began  to  advocate   (b)  Lincoln's 
"compensated   abolishment"    of   slavery   in    the   border  «^™e°f_ 
states.     His  plan  was  to  pay  the  loyal  slaveholders  of  sated  Abol- 
the  border  states  for  their  slaves  before  emancipating  1: 
by  force  the  slaves   in  the   seceding  states,  and  he  con 
templated   putting   this   scheme   into   operation   first    in 
Missouri.     Accordingly  in   December,    1862,   a   bill   was 
introduced   into   the   United   States   Senate   by   Senator 
Henderson  of  Missouri  providing  for  $20,000,000  to  pay 
for  the  slaves  of  the  loyal  owners  in  Missouri,  and  a  similar 
bill  was  introduced  into  the  House.     The  House  bill,  how 
ever,  provided  for  only  $10,000,000  instead  of  $20,000,000. 
Both  bills  were  passed  by  the  houses  into  which  they  had 

1  It  is  not  known  whether  any  other  slaves  were  freed  under  this 
proclamation  or  not. 


400 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


(c)  Fourth 
Session  of  the 
Convention 


(d)  Ordi 
nance  for 
Gradual 
Emancipa 
tion 


been  introduced,  but  owing  to  the  difference  between  the 
two  in  the  amount  appropriated,  it  was  necessary  to  com 
promise  the  matter.  The  Senate  agreed  to  $15,000,000  as 
the  compromise  amount,  but  the  House  would  not  allow 
the  bill  with  that  amount  to  come  to  a  vote.  Thus 
ended  the  attempt  in  Congress  to  compensate  the  loyal 
slave  owners  for  their  slaves. 

An  attempt  was  made  during  the  fourth  session  of  the 
State  convention  held  in  June,  1862,  to  pass  an  ordinance 
submitting  to  the  people  certain  amendments  to  the 
constitution  and  also  a  scheme  for  the  gradual  emancipa 
tion  of  slaves  in  the  State ;  but  the  ordinance  failed  to 
pass  the  convention  by  a  very  decided  vote  of  52  to  19. 

At  the  election  held  in  November,  1862,  for  members 
of  the  legislature,  most  of  those  elected  were  in  favor  of 
emancipation.  But  they  could  do  nothing  on  that 
subject,  however,  because  of  the  constitutional  provision 
which  forbade  the  emancipation  of  slaves  in  the  State 
without  the  consent  of  the  owners  or  the  payment  of  a 
full  equivalent  for  the  slaves  so  freed.  As  there  was  no 
money  in  the  State  treasury,  emancipation  by  compensa 
tion  could  not  be  undertaken  by  the  legislature. 

But  as  the  people  were  evidently  in  favor  of  emancipat 
ing  the  slaves  of  the  State,  Governor  Gamble  ventured  to 
call  the  convention  together  again  at  Jefferson  City  in 
June,  1863.  This  proved  to  be  its  final  session.  In  his 
proclamation  convening  the  convention  Governor  Gamble 
said  that  the  subject  of  emancipation  had  for  some  time 
engaged  the  public  mind  and  that  it  was  of  the  highest 
importance  to  the  interests  of  the  State  that  some  scheme 
of  emancipation  should  be  adopted.  He  also  said  that  the 
legislature  at  its  last  session  had  been  unable  to  deal 
with  the  matter  because  of  constitutional  limitations,  and 
had  indicated  that  the  convention  should  be  called 
together  again  for  the  express  purpose  of  considering 
emancipation.  In  due  time  the  convention  passed  an 
ordinance  providing  that  "slavery  and  involuntary  servi- 


THE   PROVISIONAL   GOVERNMENT   OF   MISSOURI     401 

tude  except  for  the  punishment  of  crime  should  cease  to 
exist  in  Missouri  on  July  4,  1870,  and  that  all  slaves 
within  the  State  on  that  date  should  be  declared  free."1 

This  program  of  gradual  emancipation  was  by  no  means  Lincoln  and 
satisfactory  to  all  the  Union  men  in  Missouri.     By  this 
time  there  had  arisen  two  factions   among   the   Union 
men  —  the  Conservatives  and  the  Radicals.2     The  former 
advocated  gradual  emancipation  and  the  latter  immediate 
emancipation;    the  former  believed  that  the  slaves  on   i.  Rise  of 
receiving  their  freedom  should  be  kept  under  the  control  Conserva- 
of  their  former  masters  until   they  could   learn  to  take  Radicals 
care  of  themselves,  while  the  latter  favored  the  abolition 
of    slavery    without    any    conditions    whatsoever.     The 
scheme  of  emancipation  which  the   convention   adopted 
was  supported  only  by  the  Conservatives  ;  to  the  Radicals 
it   was   a   dilatory   and   half-hearted   measure   and   was 
bitterly  opposed  by  them. 

The    Radicals    now    undertook    to    bring    about    "an   2.  Meeting 
organized  protest   against   the  whole   Conservative  rule  °[ 
of  the  State  and  the  Federal  policy  which  supports  it."   City 
To  that  end  a  mass  meeting  was  called  to  meet  at  Jeffer 
son  City  on   September  2.     Delegates   came   from   four 
fifths  of  the  counties  of  the  State.     A  series  of  resolutions 
was   adopted,    one   of   which   arraigned   the   provisional 
government  as  being  untrue  to  the  people  of  the  State. 

1  Provision  was  made  that  all  persons  emancipated  by  this  ordi 
nance  should  remain  under  the  control  of  their  owners  as  servants 
during  a  certain  specified  period. 

2  These  two  parties  at  first  were  called  "Claybanks"  and  "Char 
coals."     The  "Claybanks"  originally  were  those  who  had  opposed 
Fremont's  radical  policy  while  in  command  of  the  Department  of 
Missouri;    the  "Charcoals"  favored  extreme  measures  to  crush  out 
the  rebellion  and  advocated  immediate  emancipation  of  all  slaves 
by  proclamation  of  the  President.     All  Republicans  had  previously 
been  christened  "Black  Republicans"  by  their  opponents  because  of 
their  sympathy  with  the  negroes  and  their  opposition  to  slavery. 
The  "Charcoals"  were  so  called  because  they  were  the  blackest 
of  the  black. 


402 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


3.    Radical 
Delegation 
before 
Lincoln 


The  chief  counts  in  the  indictment  thus  brought  against 
the  Gamble  government  were :  "The  use  of  the  forces  of 
the  State  to  maintain  slavery ;  the  disarmament  of 
loyalists  and  the  establishment  of  the  enrolled  militia, 
many  of  whom  were  characterized  as  known  and  avowed 
disloyalists ; 1  and  a  refusal  to  cooperate  with  the  general 
government  particularly  in  the  execution  of  orders  levy 
ing  assessments  against  disloyalists."  The  meeting 
then  decided  to  send  a  committee  of  seventy  to  Wash 
ington  to  lay  their  grievances  before  Lincoln  and  to 
procure  a  change  in  the  governmental  policy  in  reference 
to  Missouri. 

On  September  30,  1863,  Lincoln  received  this  committee 
of  seventy  in  the  White  House.  For  a  full  half  hour 
Mr.  Drake,  chairman  of  the  committee,  read  slowly  and 
impressively  the  address  which  had  been  drafted.  The 
origin  and  development  of  the  antagonism  between  the 
Gamble  administration  and  the  Radical  Union  men  of 
Missouri  was  reviewed  at  length.  Gamble  was  charged 
with  the  intention  of  preserving  slavery  in  Missouri, 
while  the  Radicals  desired  and  demanded  the  election  of 
a  new  convention  for  the  purpose  of  immediately  ridding 
the  State  of  slavery.  Lincoln's  emancipation  proclama 
tion  of  January  i,  1863,  which  freed  the  slaves  in  those 
states  which  were  in  rebellion,2  was  cordially  approved, 
and  the  question  was  raised  as  to  "why  the  people  of 

1  There  were  two  bodies  of  soldiers  known  as  the  Missouri  Militia. 
These  were  designated  as  the  Missouri  State  Militia  and  the. Enrolled 
Missouri  Militia.     The  first  was  composed  of  volunteer  troops  en 
listed  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  and  supported  by  it.     They 
were  maintained  exclusively  for  the  protection  of  the  State.     The 
other  was  organized  by  order  of  the  governor  and  was  controlled 
by  him  exclusively  and  at  no  time  was  it  subject  to  the  orders  of  the 
United  States. 

2  This    emancipation   proclamation    did   not    affect   the   border 
states,  such  as  Missouri,  Kentucky,  Maryland,  and  Delaware,  nor 
did  it  affect  Tennessee  and  parts  of  Louisiana  and  Virginia,  inas 
much  as  they  were  not  in  a  state  of  rebellion  at  that  time. 


THE   PROVISIONAL   GOVERNMENT  OF  MISSOURI     403 

Missouri  should  not  from  the  same  sense  of  duty  strike 
down  with  equal  suddenness  the  traitorous  and  formidable 
institution  in  their  midst."  The  address  closed  with  a 
very  impressive  appeal  to  the  President  for  action  in 
behalf  of  the  Radicals  in  Missouri.  "We  ask  only  justice 
and  protection  for  our  suffering  people.  If  they  are  to 
suffer  hereafter  and  now,  as  in  times  past,  the  world  will 
remember  that  they  are  not  responsible  for  the  gloomy 
page  in  Missouri's  history." 

For  more  than  two  and  a  half  hours  Lincoln  discussed 
the  matters  presented  in  this  address.  He  was  aware 
of  the  fact  that  the  delegation  before  him  was  voicing 
not  only  the  opinion  of  the  Radicals  of  Missouri,  but  also 
the  demands  of  the  radical  anti-slavery  elements  of  the 
whole  country,  that  he  should  extend  his  emancipation 
proclamation  so  as  to  cover  slavery  everywhere  and  that 
he  should  use  negro  troops  against  the  Confederate  army. 
The  Missourians,  too,  appreciated  the  national  signifi 
cance  of  their  mission.  On  their  way  to  Washington  they 
had  been  enthusiastically  entertained  at  several  different 
places  and  had  been  urged  to  stand  firm  on  their  plat 
form  that  slavery  should  be  abolished  immediately  in  the 
border  states  without  compensation. 

Five  days  after  this  conference  Lincoln  sent  his  reply  4.  Lincoln' 
to  the  committee.     No  keener  or  saner  analysis  of  the 
situation  as  it  existed  in  Missouri  has  ever  been  given. 
After  reviewing  the  demands  that  the  Missourians  had 
made  of  him,  he  began  his  reply  with  these  words  : 

"We  are  in  civil  war.  In  such  case  there  is  always  a 
main  question,  but  in  this  case  that  question  is  a  per 
plexing  compound  —  Union  and  Slavery.  It  thus 
becomes  a  question  not  of  two  sides  merely,  but  of  at 
least  four  sides,  even  among  those  who  are  for  the  Union, 
saying  nothing  of  those  who  are  against  it.  Thus,  those 
who  are  for  the  Union  but  not  without  slavery;  those 
for  it  without  but  not  with ;  those  for  it  with  or  without 
but  prefer  it  with ;  those  for  it  with  or  without  but  prefer 


404 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


5.   Attempt 
of  the 
Radicals  to 
Defeat 
Lincoln 


it  without ;  among  these  again  is  a  subdivision  of  those 
who  are  for  gradual  but  not  immediate,  and  those  who  are 
for  immediate,  but  not  for  gradual,  extinction  of  slavery." 

On  coming  to  the  demands  made  by  the  Missourians, 
he  declined  to  remove  General  Schofield  or  to  attempt 
the  destruction  of  the  enrolled  militia,  but  he  ordered 
Schofield  to  render  the  requested  assistance  in  the  forth 
coming  elections.  In  conclusion  he  said  : 

"The  Radicals  and  Conservatives  each  agree  with  me 
in  some  things  and  disagree  in  others.  I  could  wish 
both  to  agree  with  me  in  all  things ;  for  then  they  would 
agree  with  each  other  and  would  be  too  strong  for  any 
foe  from  any  quarter.  They,  however,  choose  to  do 
otherwise  and  I  do  not  question  their  rights.  I  hold 
whoever  commands  in  Missouri  or  elsewhere  responsible 
to  me  and  not  to  either  Radicals  or  Conservatives.  It  is 
my  duty  to  hear  all ;  but,  at  last,  I  must,  within  my  sphere, 
judge  what  to  do  and  what  to  forbear." 

Although  Lincoln  declined  the  most  important  demands 
made  by  the  Radicals,  his  sympathies  were  with  them. 
"They  are  nearer  to  me  than  the  other  side  in  thought 
and  sentiment,"  he  said  later,  "though  bitterly  hostile 
personally.  They  are  the  unhandiest  fellows  in  the 
world  to  deal  with,  but  after  all  their  faces  are  set  Zion- 
wards." 

That  the  Radicals  of  Missouri  were  not  pleased  with 
Lincoln's  policy  regarding  the  State  is  seen  in  the  efforts 
they  made  to  defeat  his  renomination  in  1864.  They 
joined  with  the  Radicals  of  other  states  who  felt  that 
he  had  not  been  aggressive  enough,  and  sent  delegates 
to  a  convention  held  at  Cleveland  in  May,  1864,  which 
nominated  Fremont  for  President.  After  Fremont  with 
drew  from  the  race,  they  sent  a  delegation  to  the  regular 
Republican  convention  held  at  Baltimore  under  the  name 
of  "The  National  Union  Convention."  The  Conserva 
tives  of  Missouri  also  sent  a  rival  delegation  to  this 
convention,  but  after  considerable  wrangling  the  Radicals 


THE   PROVISIONAL   GOVERNMENT   OF   MISSOURI     405 

were  seated  and  cast  their  votes  for  Grant  for  President. 
As  all  the  other  delegates  had  cast  their  votes  for  Lincoln, 
the  Missouri  delegation  changed  their  votes  to  him  and 
this  made  the  nomination  unanimous.  But  they  had  the 
satisfaction  of  registering  their  disapproval  of  Lincoln 
by  voting  first  for  Grant.  The  following  November, 
however,  Lincoln  carried  the  State  by  40,000^ 

At  the  same  time  that  Lincoln  carried  Missouri  by  so 
large  a  majority,  the  Radicals  elected  their  entire  State 
ticket  with  the  same  majority,  with  Thomas  C.  Fletcher 
at  the  head  as  governor.2  They  also  carried  the  prop 
osition  to  hold  a  State  constitutional  convention  which 
was  authorized  to  consider  such  constitutional  amend 
ments  as  were  necessary  to  abolish  slavery  and  would 
guarantee  only  to  loyal  citizens  the  right  to  vote.  It  was 
generally  understood  that  the  first  duty  of  this  conven 
tion  would  be  to  pass  an  ordinance  freeing  the  slaves  in 
the  State  immediately. 

This  constitutional  convention  assembled  in  St.  Louis  Ordinance 
on   January    6,    1865,    and    continued    in    session    until  Jute^na 
April  10.     It  was  composed  of  sixty-six  members,  three  cipationin 
fourths  of  whom  were  Radicals.     It  turned  at  once  to  Missouri 
the  question  of  emancipation,  and  on  January   u.   five 
days   after   it    had    convened,    an    ordinance   abolishing 
slavery  in  Missouri  immediately  and  without  compensa 
tion  was  passed  by  a  vote  of  60  to  4.3     Thus  Missouri  by 
her  own  independent  action  abolished  slavery  within  her 
borders  before  the  thirteenth  amendment  of  the  national 
Constitution    abolishing    it    everywhere    in    the    United 

1  Lincoln  71,676;   McClellan  31,626. 

2  The  death  of  Gamble  in  January,  1864,  weakened  the  strength  of 
the  Conservatives  considerably.     He  had  offered  his  resignation  as 
governor  to  the  convention  in  July,  1863,  but  was  induced  to  with 
draw  it. 

3  On  the  reception  of  the  news  at  Jefferson  City  of  the  passage  of 
this  emancipation    ordinance,   the  legislature,  which   was  then  in 
session  at  Jefferson  City,  held  a  jubilee  celebration  in  honor  of  the 
event,  the  chief  feature  of  which  was  a  speech  by  Governor  Fletcher. 


406  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

States  was  adopted.  That  amendment  was  not  adopted 
by  the  necessary  number  of  states  to  put  it  into  force 
until  December,  1865. 

With  the  passage  of  this  emancipation  ordinance,  the 
second  great  political  issue  that  arose  in  Missouri  during 
the  war  was  disposed  of.  The  first  issue  had  been  that  of 
Missouri's  relation  to  the  Union.  That  was  settled  early 
in  the  war  in  favor  of  the  Union.  The  second  issue 
had  been  that  of  emancipation.  That  was  not  settled 
until  near  the  close  of  the  war.  Meanwhile,  a  third  issue 
had  arisen,  that  of  suffrage,  and  remained  as  a  heritage 
from  the  war  to  trouble  the  political  peace  of  the  State 
long  after  military  hostilities  had  ceased.  The  history 
of  that  issue  will  occupy  our  attention  in  the  next  chapter. 

REFERENCES 

Carr,  Missouri,  ch.  xvii.  Harvey,  State  of  Missouri  from  its 
Territorial  Days  to  1904,  ch.  xvii.  Harding,  "Missouri  Party 
Struggles  in  the  Civil  War  Period,"  in  the  American  Historical 
Association  Reports,  1900,  vol.  i,  pp.  85-103.  The  following  articles 
in  the  Missouri  Historical  Review  bear  upon  the  different  topics 
discussed  in  this  chapter:  Harvey,  "Missouri  from  1849  to  1861," 
October,  1907,  pp.  23-40;  Snyder,  "State  Convention  of  Missouri 
in  1860,"  January,  1908,  pp.  112-131;  Robinson,  "Two  Missouri 
Historians,"  April,  1911,  pp.  129-138;  Philips,  "Gamble  and  the 
Provisional  Government,"  October,  1910,  pp.  1-14;  Macdougal, 
"A  Decade  of  Missouri  Politics,"  1860-70,  January,  1909,  pp. 
126-153  ;  Simonds,  "Missouri  History  as  Illustrated  by  Bingham," 
April,  1907,  pp.  181-190 ;  Stevens,  "Lincoln and  Missouri,"  January, 
1916,  pp.  63-120.  Special  attention  should  be  called  to  this  last- 
named  article.  In  it  the  author  has  traced  the  interest  that  Lincoln 
took  in  public  affairs  in  Missouri  from  1858  to  his  death,  and  has 
brought  out  the  close  connection  that  existed  between  Lincoln  and 
the  Blairs  of  Missouri.  This  article  has  been  drawn  upon  exten 
sively  in  the  preparation  of  the  latter  part  of  this  chapter. 


CHAPTER   XX 
THE   RULE    OF    THE  RADICAL    PARTY    IN    MISSOURI 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  Reconstruction  of  the  Southern 
States.] 

IN  the  preceding  chapter  we  saw  that  the  constitutional  Suffrage 
convention  of  1865,  after  passing  an  emancipation  ordi 
nance,  turned  to  the  question  of  suffrage. 

Very  few  of  the  66  delegates  who  composed  this  con-  i.  Leader- 
vention  were  very  widely  known  throughout  the  State 
and  "most  of  them  went  back 
into  immediate  obscurity  when 
the  convention  terminated." 
The  leader  of  this  convention 
was  Charles  D.  Drake.  His 
political  career  had  been  that 
of  a  "turncoat,"  having  been 
first  a  Whig,  then  a  Know- 
nothing,  and  then  a  Democrat. 
By  1865  he  had  come  to  be 
the  leader  of  the  Radical  party, 
and  through  that  leadership  he 
dominated  the  convention  of 
1865  as  perhaps  no  other  man 
in  Missouri  has  ever  dominated 
any  assembly  or  convention. 
In  fact,  so  clear  was  his  leader 
ship  and  influence  that  the  con 
stitution  which  this  convention  drew  up  has  generally 
been  spoken  of  as  the  "Drake  Constitution,"  especially 
by  his  opponents.1 

1  Because  of  Drake's  leading  part  in  framing  this  constitution 
and  because  of  the  many  severities  of  certain  of  its  sections,  it  re- 

407 


CHARLES  D.  DRAKE 
Leader  of  the  Radicals  in  Mis 
souri  and  author  of  the  "  Drake 
Constitution." 


408 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


2.   Debates 
on  Suffrage 


3.  Disquali 
fications  for 
Voting 


The  debates  on  the  question  of  suffrage  were  very  pro 
longed  and  bitter.  No  other  subject  occupied  so  much 
of  the  time  and  attention  of  the  convention  and  no  other 
aroused  such  antagonism.  The  issue  was  whether  or 
not  those  who  were  counted  as  rebels  should  have  the 
right  to  vote.  It  will  be  recalled  that  they  had  been  dis 
franchised  by  the  State  convention  in  1862.  Many  of 
the  delegates  in  the  convention  of  1865  were  in  favor  of 
removing  this  restriction  on  suffrage,  partially  at  least, 
but  the  majority  were  determined  to  make  it  all  the  more 
difficult  for  those  who  had  been  in  the  least  tainted  with 
disloyalty  to  vote.  Probably  the  circumstances  under 
which  the  delegates  to  this  convention  had  been  elected 
had  something  to  do  with  their  attitude  on  the  question 
of  suffrage.  At  that  time  Price  was  just  closing  his  famous 
raid  of  1864,  and  many  of  the  delegates  doubtless  came 
to  the  convention  with  their  minds  bent  upon  revenge 
toward  all  rebels  and  their  sympathizers.  No  doubt  they 
also  wanted  to  insure  their  hold  upon  the  government  of 
the  State.  That  they  satisfied  themselves  in  this  matter 
is  seen  from  the  section  which  sets  forth  the  list  of  those 
who  were  disqualified  from  voting.  So  sweeping  in  its 
restrictions  is  this  section  that  we  give  it  here  in  full : 

Section  3.  At  any  election  held  by  the  people  under  this  Con 
stitution,  or  in  pursuance  of  any  law  of  this  State,  or  under  any  ordi 
nance  or  by-law  of  any  municipal  corporation,  no  person  shall  be 
deemed  a  qualified  voter  who  has  ever  been  in  armed  hostility  to  the 
United  States,  or  to  the  lawful  authorities  thereof,  or  to  the  Govern 
ment  of  this  State ;  or  has  ever  given  aid,  comfort,  countenance,  or 
support  to  persons  engaged  in  any  such  hostility ;  or  has  ever,  in 
any  manner,  adhered  to  the  enemies,  foreign  or  domestic,  of  the 
United  States,  either  by  contributing  to  them,  or  by  unlawfully 
sending  within  their  lines  money,  goods,  letters,  or  information ;  or 
has  ever  disloyally  held  communication  with  such  enemies  ;  or  has 

minded  many  people  of  the  laws  of  Draco  of  ancient  Greece,  which 
were  noted  for  the  heavy  penalties  that  were  levied  for  their  viola 
tion.  For  these  reasons  the  constitution  of  1865  was  frequently 
called  the  "Draconian  Code." 


THE  RULE  OF  THE  RADICAL  PARTY      409 

ever  advised  or  aided  any  person  to  enter  the  service  of  such  enemies  ; 
or  has  ever,  by  act  or  word,  manifested  his  adherence  to  the  cause  of 
such  enemies,  or  his  desire  for  their  triumph  over  the  arms  of  the 
United  States,  or  his  sympathy  with  those  engaged  in  exciting  or 
carrying  on  rebellion  against  the  United  States ;  or  has  ever,  except 
under  overpowering  compulsion,  submitted  to  the  authority,  or 
been  in  the  service  of  the  so-called  "Confederate  States  of  America ; " 
or  has  ever  left  this  State  and  gone  within  the  lines  of  the  armies  of 
the  so-called  "Confederate  States  of  America,"  with  the  purpose 
of  adhering  to  said  states  or  armies ;  or  has  ever  been  a  member  of, 
or  connected  with,  any  order,  society,  or  organization  inimical  to  the 
government  of  the  United  States,  or  to  the  government  of  this  State ; 
or  has  ever  been  engaged  in  guerrilla  wa/fare  against  loyal  inhabi 
tants  of  the  United  States,  or  in  that  description  of  marauding  com 
monly  known  as  "bushwhacking;"  or  has  ever  knowingly  and 
willingly  harbored,  aided  or  countenanced  any  person  so  engaged ; 
or  has  ever  come  into  or  left  this  State  for  the  purpose  of  avoiding 
enrollment  for  or  draft  into  the  military  service  of  the  United  States  ; 
or  has  ever,  with  a  view  to  avoid  enrollment  in  the  militia  of  this 
State,  or  to  escape  the  performance  of  duty  therein,  or  for  any  other 
purpose,  enrolled  himself,  or  authorized  himself  to  be  enrolled,  by  or 
before  any  officer,  as  disloyal,  or  as  a  Southern  sympathizer,  or  in 
any  other  terms  indicating  his  disaffection  to  the  government  of  the 
United  States  in  its  contest  with  rebellion,  or  his  sympathy  with  those 
engaged  in  such  rebellion ;  or,  having  ever  voted  at  any  election  by 
the  people  in  this  State,  or  in  any  other  of  the  United  States,  or  in 
any  of  their  territories,  or  under  the  United  States,  shall  thereafter 
have  sought  or  received,  under  claim  of  alienage,  the  protection  of 
any  foreign  government,  through  any  consul  or  other  officer  thereof, 
in  order  to  secure  exemption  from  military  duty  in  the  militia  of  this 
State,  or  in  the  army  of  the  United  States  ;  nor  shall  any  such  person 
be  capable  of  holding,  in  this  State,  any  office  of  honor,  trust,  or 
profit  under  its  authority  ;  or  of  being  an  officer,  councilman,  direc 
tor,  trustee,  or  other  manager  of  any  corporation,  public  or  private, 
now  existing,  or  hereafter  established  by  its  authority ;  or  of  acting 
as  a  professor  or  teacher  in  any  educational  institution,  or  in  any 
common  or  other  school ;  or  of  holding  any  real  estate  or  other  prop 
erty  in  trust  for  the  use  of  any  church,  religious  society  or  congre 
gation.  But  the  foregoing  provisions  in  relation  to  acts  done  against 
the  United  States  shall  not  apply  to  any  person  not  a  citizen  thereof, 
who  shall  have  committed  such  acts  while  in  the  service  of  some 
foreign  country  at  war  with  the  United  States,  and  who  has,  since 
such  acts,  been  naturalized,  or  may  hereafter  be  naturalized,  under 
the  laws  of  the  United  States ;  and  the  oath  of  loyalty  hereinafter 


4io 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


prescribed,  when  taken  by  any  such  person,  shall  be  considered  as 
taken  in  such  sense. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  words  "who  has  ever" 
recur  in  each  of  the  clauses  enumerating  those  who  were 
disqualified  from  voting.  An  attempt  was  made  in  the 
convention  to  amend  this  section  so  as  to  substitute  for 
the  word  "ever"  the  words  "since  the  iyth  of  December, 
1  86  1."  x  It  was  pointed  out  by  those  who  supported 
this  amendment  that  an  amnesty  had  been  granted  in 
1  86  1  by  Governor  Gamble  and  the  convention  to  all  who 
had  taken  up  arms  against  the  government  at  the  call  of 
Governor  Jackson,  who  would  voluntarily  return  to  their 
peaceful  pursuits  by  December  17,  1861,  and  take  an  oath 
of  allegiance  to  the  government,  and  that  the  words  "who 
has  ever"  in  the  proposed  section  on  suffrage  violated 
that  amnesty.  But  the  amendment  failed  to  carry,  and 
the  section  as  adopted  contained  the  ominous  words  "who 
has  ever." 

Not  only  were  these  elaborate  disqualifications  for 
voting  provided,  but  in  another  section  the  religious, 
Professions  charitable,  social,  and  business  relations  of  the  people 
were  invaded,  and  a  provision  was  made  for  an  "expurga- 
torial  oath"  for  ministers  of  the  gospel,  attorneys,  and 
teachers.  Under  that  section  no  person  was  permitted 
to  practice  law  or  be  competent  as  a  preacher,  priest, 
deacon,  minister,  or  clergyman  of  any  religious  persuasion, 
sect,  or  denomination  to  teach  or  preach  or  solemnize 
marriages  unless  such  person  should  have  first  taken, 
subscribed,  and  filed  the  prescribed  oath  of  loyalty.  So 
comprehensive  and  so  detailed  was  the  test  oath  that  was 
required  of  those  who  sought  to  vote  or  to  practice  the 
above-mentioned  professions  that  it  was  known  as  the 
"Ironclad  Oath." 

For  this  sweeping  system  of  disfranchisement  and  test 

1  The  disfranchising  ordinance  of  1862  contained  the  phrase 
"since  December  17,  1861." 


Disquali- 


THE  RULE  OF  THE  RADICAL  PARTY      411 

oaths  the  Radical  party  of  1865  has  been  roundly  con 
demned  from  that  time  to  this  by  many  fair-minded 
men.  In  defense  of  this  party,  however,  it  has  been 
pointed  out  that  a  similar  system  was  inaugurated  by  the 
convention  in  1862,  and  that  the  records  of  the  convention 
show  that  the  ordinance  which  it  passed  providing  for 
disfranchisement  and  oaths  of  loyalty  was  "  introduced, 
supported,  and  voted  for  by  Democrats."  But  even 
admitting  all  that,  we  are  forced  to  say  that  the  system  of 
1862  was  by  no  means  as  drastic  and  sweeping  as  that  of 
1865.  And  furthermore,  when  we  note  the  spirit  in 
which  the  latter  was  framed  and  enforced,  we  are  com 
pelled  to  conclude  that  there  are  sufficient  grounds  for 
condemning  the  Radicals  for  the  extreme  measures  they 
took.  More  light  will  be  thrown  upon  the  operation 
of  the  system  as  we  proceed  in  this  chapter.1 

It  was  evident  very  soon  after  the  convention  assembled  Adoption  of 

that  instead  of  amending  the  existing  constitution,  which  *hf.  Constl- 

tution  of 

had  been  framed  and  adopted  in  1820,  it  would  draft  an  1865 
entirely  new  instrument.  There  is  some  doubt  as  to 
whether  the  convention  had  any  authority  to  frame  a 
new  constitution,  and  some  of  the  members  expressed 
themselves  accordingly  when  it  was  apparent  what  was 
on  foot.  But  the  majority  ignored  the  protests  of  the 
minority  and  pushed  their  program  through.  The  new 
constitution  was  finally  adopted  by  the  convention  by  a 
vote  of  38  to  13,  and  the  convention  adjourned  on  April 
10,  1865.  Provision  was  made  for  submitting  the  new 
constitution  to  the  people  on  June  6,  1865,  but  only  those 
who  could  take  the  oath  of  loyalty  prescribed  by  the 
constitution  itself  were  allowed  to  vote  upon  its  adoption. 
The  campaign  that  was  held  for  its  adoption  was  "the 
most  unusual  in  the  history  of  the  State."  It  was  bitter 

1  At  least  one  third  of  the  people  were  deprived  of  the  right  to  vote 
because  of  these  test  oaths,  and  undoubtedly  a  great  many  more 
would  have  been  deprived  of  suffrage  if  they  had  sworn  strictly  to  the 
truth  when  they  came  to  take  the  test  oath. 


412  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

from  beginning  to  end.  Of  course  those  who  were  dis 
franchised  were  opposed  to  the  new  constitution,  but  the 
surprising  feature  in  the  campaign  was  the  bitter  opposi 
tion  within  the  ranks  of  those  who  had  the  right  to  vote 
upon  it.  Not  all  the  Radicals  themselves  were  for  the 
constitution,  but  after  the  first  few  weeks  of  the  cam 
paign,  the  Radicals  who  opposed  it  were  whipped  into 
line.  The  constitution  was  adopted  by  a  majority  of 
less  than  2000,  the  vote  standing  43,670  for  and  41,808 
against.1 

The  chief  support  for  the  constitution  came  from  the  out 
lying  counties  of  the  State,  especially  those  in  the  north 
western  and  southwestern  parts,  rather  than  from  St. 
Louis  or  the  Missouri  River  counties.2  In  fact,  the  vote 
in  St.  Louis  and  in  the  Missouri  River  counties  was  over 
whelmingly  against  adoption,  and  from  the  early  returns 
it  looked  as  though  the  constitution  would  be  defeated. 
Even  after  the  returns  from  the  border  counties  gave  a 
kind  of  reassuring  effect,  it  was  not  until  the  soldier  vote 
came  in  that  a  majority  for  the  constitution  was  assured. 
Had  the  opposition  been  as  vigorously  organized  as  those 
who  favored  the  constitution,  it  would  not  have  been 
adopted.  On  receiving  the  complete  returns  Governor 
Fletcher  declared  that  the  constitution  would  go  into 
effect  on  July  4,  1865. 

The  Between  the  adoption  of  the  constitution  by  a  vote  of  the 

Ordinance      Pe°ple  and  the  time  it  went  into  effect,  an  event  of  great 

significance  in  connection  with  the  establishment  of  the 

Radical  rule  in  Missouri  occurred,  namely,  the  removal 

of  the  judges  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  State  through 

1  The  total  vote  on  the  constitution  was  85,478,  which  was  about 
55,000  less  than  that  cast  in  the  preceding  November  on  the  question 
as  to  whether  the  convention  should  be  held  or  not. 

2  It  will  be  recalled  that  St.  Louis  and  the  Missouri  River  counties 
were  the  chief  strongholds  of  the  old  line  Whig  party  before  the  war. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  chief  opponents  to  the  constitution  of  1865 
were  those  who  had  been  old  line  Whigs, 


THE  RULE  OF  THE  RADICAL  PARTY     413 

the  enforcement  of  the  so-called  "Ousting  Ordinance." 
This  ordinance,  which  had  been  passed  by  the  constitu 
tional  convention  on  March  17,  provided  that  the  offices 
of  the  judges  and  the  clerks  of  the  supreme  court  and 
of  all  the  circuit  courts  of  the  State,  and  also  certain 
county  offices,  such  as  recorders,  circuit  attorneys,  and 
sheriffs,  should  be  vacated.  It  also  gave  the  governor 
authority  to  fill  all  these  places  with  his  own  appointees. 
Like  the  ordinance  which  this  same  convention  had  passed 
abolishing  slavery,  this  one  was  not  to  be  submitted  to 
the  people  for  adoption  or  rejection,  but  was  to  be  put 
into  effect  by  May  first.  The  justification  that  was  offered 
for  this  wholesale  removal  of  officials  was  that  only  those 
who  were  known  to  be  loyal  men  should  be  allowed  to 
hold  office ;  but  that  was  evidently  only  a  pretext. 
Governor  Hall  had  assured  the  legislature  in  his  message 
the  preceding  December  that  all  the  civil  offices  of  the 
State  were  then  filled  with  men  of  avowed  loyalty,  and 
most  of  these  men  were  still  in  office  when  the  "Ousting 
Ordinance"  was  passed.  But  there  were  grave  doubts, 
however,  as  to  whether  the  supreme  court  would  support 
the  acts  of  the  convention,  including  the  ordinance 
abolishing  slavery,  and  it  was  felt  absolutely  necessary  to 
insure  against  an  adverse  decision  by  that  body.  Hence 
it  was  decided  to  remove  the  judges  of  the  supreme  court 
and  to  appoint  new  members  ;  and  to  cover  up  the  design 
in  doing  this,  a  great  host  of  other  officials,  numbering 
about  1000  in  all,  were  likewise  to  be  turned  out  of  doors 
at  the  same  time.  Although  the  ordinance  provided  that 
it  should  be  enforced  on  May  first,  it  was  not  until  June 
14  that  it  was  applied  to  the  supreme  court.  One  of  the 
three  judges,  Judge  Bates,  had  resigned  in  advance  of  the 
attempt  to  enforce  the  ordinance,  but  the  other  two, 
Judges  Bay  and  Dry  den,  refused  to  .vacate  until  they 
were  forcibly  ejected.  Governor  Fletcher  thereupon 
appointed  David  Wagoner,  Nathaniel  Holmes,  and  W.  L. 
Lovelace  to  the  bench. 


414  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

Radical  With   the   supreme   court   thus   molded  to  suit  their 

Missouri  notion  and  with  the  adoption  of  the  new  constitution, 
the  Radicals  were  placed  in  a  position  where  they  might 
successfully  control  the  political  affairs  of  the  State  for  a 
long  period  of  time.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  they 
maintained  themselves  for  only  five  years.  What  they 
did  during  that  time  and  what  brought  about  their  over 
throw  will  now  engage  our  attention. 

i.  Enforce-  The  first  efforts  of  the  Radicals  after  the  constitution 
the**"  Test  went  into  effect  were  directed  toward  enforcing  the  test 
Oath"  upon  oath  upon  the  professional  classes,  that  is,  ministers, 
Professions  teachers,  and  lawyers.  The  constitution  provided  that 
it  was  necessary  for  these  to  take  this  test  oath  within 
sixty  days  after  the  ratification  of  the  constitution. 
Probably  no  section  in  the  whole  constitution  was  more 
detested  than  this  one  regarding  the  professional  classes, 
and  from  the  very  beginning  it  was  evident  that  its  en 
forcement  would  be  stoutly  resisted.  Perhaps  the  greatest 
resistance  came  from  the  ministers,  and  many  of  them  con 
tinued  preaching  and  performing  the  duties  of  their  office 
without  taking  the  oath.  Numerous  indictments  were 
filed  against  such  ministers,  some  of  whom  were  put  into 
jail.  Finally  the  case  of  Reverend  Father  Cummings,  a 
Catholic  priest  in  the  town  of  Louisiana,  was  taken  into 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States ;  and  that  sec 
tion  of  the  constitution  prescribing  an  oath  for  the  profes 
sional  classes  was  declared  unconstitutional.1  It  should 
be  noted,  however,  that  the  decision  was  not  on  the  con 
stitutionality  of  the  oath  itself,  but  on  the  question 
whether  conditions  might  be  laid  down  for  the  practice 

1  Cummings  was  convicted  in  the  circuit  court  on  the  charge  of 
having  preached  and  taught  without  taking  the  oath  and  was 
sentenced  to  pay  a  fine  of  $500  and  be  committed  to  jail  until  the 
fine  and  costs  were  paid.  The  supreme  court  of  Missouri  sus 
tained  the  decision  of  the  circuit  court.  The  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States,  however,  declared  the  law  unconstitutional  and  thus 
freed  him.  This  decision  was  handed  down  on  January  14,  1867. 


THE  RULE  OF  THE  RADICAL  PARTY      415 

of  a  profession.  The  court  held  that  the  requirement  of 
an  oath  of  the  professional  classes  was  in  violation  of 
that  provision  of  the  Federal  Constitution  which  prohibits 
any  state  from  enacting  bills  of  attainder  and  ex  post  facto 
laws,  and  was  therefore  null  and  void.  The  Radicals 
were  no  doubt  relieved  at  having  this  section  concerning 
the  oath  declared  unconstitutional,  so  great  had  the 
dissatisfaction  over  it  become.1 

As  a  means  of  eliminating  from  the  electorate  all  the  2.  Registry 
more  effectively  those  who  were  suspected  of  disloyalty,  l8C66and 
the  constitution  of  1865  authorized  the  legislature  to  1868 
provide  for  a  complete  and  uniform  registration  by  dis 
tricts  of  the  names  of  the  qualified  voters  of  the  State. 
Acting  upon  that  authority,  the  legislature  passed  a 
registry  law  in  1866,  according  to  which  the  State  was 
divided  into  small  electoral  districts,  and  over  each  of 
these  was  placed  a  superintendent  of  registration  elected 
by  the  people  of  that  district.2  Two  years  later  a  more 
stringent  registry  law  was  passed,  which  provided, 
among  other  things,  that  the  superintendents  of  regis 
tration  were  to  be  appointed  by  the  governor  rather 
than  elected  by  the  people.  The  explanation  that  was 
offered  by  the  Radicals  for  this  change  was  that  so  long 
as  the  superintendents  were  elected,  it  was  impossible  to 
get  efficient  and  uniform  administration  of  the  registry 
laws,  especially  since  the  Conservatives  were  threatening 
to  defy  these  laws.  There  was  much  truth  in  that 
explanation.  If  the  people  in  a  given  district  were 
inclined  to  be  indifferent  and  tolerant  about  the  matter  of 
registration  and  suffrage,  they  would  elect  a  superintend 
ent  who  would  take  their  view  of  the  matter.  In  fact, 
there  were  several  instances  of  just  that  sort  of  thing, 

1  In  1870,  however,  the  United  States  Court  decided  in  the  Blair  vs. 
Ridgely  case  that  the  test  oath  for  the  purpose  of  suffrage  was  con 
stitutional. 

2  The  passage  of  this  registry  act  was  regarded  at  the  time  as  "a 
triumph  second  only  to  the  adoption  of  the  new  constitution." 


416 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.   Radical 

Successes 
in  1866 
and  1868 


Opposition 
to  the 
Radicals  in 
1866  and 
1868 


and  indeed  in  some  of  the  districts  Democrats  were 
elected  as  superintendents  of  registration.  In  order, 
therefore,  to  check  this  tendency  which  threatened 
Radical  control,  the  registry  law  of  1868  was  passed. 
With  the  passage  of  this  act  the  highwater  mark  of  ex 
treme  Radical  legislation  was  reached. 

The  enforcement  of  this  law  gave  occasion  to  much 
complaint  and  to  a  great  many  charges  of  oppression 
and  dishonesty  at  the  hands  of  the  new  superintendents 
of  registration.  In  some  of  the  districts  the  registration 
was  quietly  done  and  seemed  fairly  satisfactory  to  those 
who  were  eligible  under  the  law  to  register.  This  was 
particularly  true  in  St.  Louis.  But  in  other  parts  of  the 
State,  especially  in  the  old  Whig  counties  along  the 
Missouri  River,  there  was  a  great  deal  of  dissatisfaction. 
In  Boone  County,  for  example,  it  was  claimed  that  3000 
men,  including  many  Union  men,  were  refused  registra 
tion.  It  is  not  possible  to  find  out  how  many  men  were 
not  allowed  to  register,  but  the  Democratic  papers  of  the 
time  claimed  that  more  than  20,000  men  who  applied  for 
registration,  answered  all  the  questions,  and  took  the  oath 
of  loyalty,  were  not  allowed  to  vote  at  the  next  election. 

With  such  effective  electoral  machinery  established 
and  under  complete  control,  it  is  no  wonder  the  Radicals 
were  successful  in  the  elections  of  1866  and  1868.  But  the 
"election  of  1868  marks  the  high  tide  of  their  success." 
In  the  election  of  1870  they  were  overthrown  and  were 
destined  never  to  recover  from  the  political  disaster  that 
overtook  them.  How  they  lost  their  power,  notwith 
standing  the  seemingly  almost  impregnable  position  in 
which  they  had  fortified  themselves,  is  worthy  of  note. 

All  during  the  time  the  Radicals  were  in  power  they  had 
to  confront  a  very  active  opposition.  The  constitution 
of  1865  had  no  sooner  been  adopted  than  there  arose 
protests  against  its  "iniquities,"  and  an  agitation  was 
begun  in  favor  of  amending  at  least  the  test  oath  sections. 
Even  some  of  the  Radicals  mildly  advocated  certain 


THE  RULE  OF  THE  RADICAL  PARTY      417 

immediate  amendments,  but  the  real  agitation  was  carried 
on  by  two  other  parties,  the  Conservative  Unionists  and 
the  Democrats. 

The     Conservative     Unionist     party     was     definitely  i.  Conserva- 
organized  in  Missouri  early  in  1866  —  chiefly  under  the  unionists 
leadership  of  Frank  P.   Blair.1     The   Democratic  party   1866 
was  being  brought  together  in  a  fashion  under  such  men 
as    Lewis    Bogy  and  John  S.  Phelps,  the  latter  having 
served  in  the   Union  army.     As  both   of  these  parties 
realized  that  it  would  be  futile  to  act  apart  in  their 
opposition  to  the  Radicals,  the  Democrats  were  induced 
to  support  the  Conservative  Unionists  in  the  campaign 
of  1866.     But  notwithstanding  this  political  combination 
the  Radicals  won  the  day,  easily  electing  seven  out  of  the 
nine  Congressmen  and  carrying  the  legislature  two  to  one. 

The  success  of  the  Radicals  in  these  elections  was  due 
largely  to  the  manner  in  which  the  first  registry  act  was 
carried  out,  mention  of  which  has  already  been  made.  It 
is  rather  significant  that  in  the  spring  municipal  elections 
which  occurred  in  the  State  before  the  registry  act  was 
passed,  the  Radicals  met  with  numerous  reverses.  Local 
issues  were  practically  forgotten  in  these  elections,  the 
campaign  in  each  municipality  having  been  waged  over 
State  issues.  But  by  the  time  the  fall  elections  were  held 
the  registry  act  had  been  put  on  the  statute  book,  and 
this  explains  why  the  Radical  reverses  of  the  spring  were 
not  repeated  in  the  fall. 

From  the  defeat  which  the  Conservative  Unionist  party  2.  Demo- 
suffered  in  1866  it  never  recovered,  and  by  the  time  the  crats>  l868 
campaign  of  1868  occurred  its  place  as  a  party  in  opposition 
to  the  Radicals  had  been  taken  by  the  Democrats,  who 
had  meanwhile  been  well  reorganized  and  had  entered 
the  political  field  with  their  own  candidates.     The  success 
which  the  Democrats  had  had  in  electing  a  Congressman 

1  On  national  issues  the  Conservative  Unionists  of  Missouri 
supported  President  Johnson  in  his  contest  with  Congress  over  the 
question  of  reconstruction  in  the  South. 


4i8 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


3.   Defeat 
of  the  Negro 
Suffrage 
Amendment 


U  »M  IfU  OPPOSED  TO 


NEGRO  EQUALITY! 


A.ND  COICaRKfiuaiONAX.    XJSTJR.FA. 
TIONS, 

and  in  favor  of  the  payment  of  the 


from  Missouri  in  1867  to  fill  an  unexpired  term,  together 
with  the  success  which  had  attended  their  party  in  other 
states  in  that  year,  spurred  the  Missouri  Democrats  to 
special  efforts  to  win  the  State  in  1868.  To  their  support 

came  a  great  many 
of  the  Conservative 
Unionists  and  the  old 
line  Whigs.  But  they 
were  not  yet  strong 
enough  to  overcome 
the  Radicals,  espe 
cially  since  the  latter 
had  been  able  to  add  to 
the  strength  of  their  po 
litical  defense  through 
the  new  registry  act  of 
1868.  McClurg,  the 

§  IITTM41  ftflBT  i3  Radical  candidate  for 
?  11 11  liUL  'IlDl  S  governor,  was  elected 

over  Phelps  by  a  ma 
jority  of  more  than 
19,000,  and  Grant  car 
ried  the  State  over 
Seymour  in  the  Presi 
dential  race  by  a  ma 
jority  of  more  than 
25,ooo.1  The  Radi 
cals  also  elected  six 
of  the  nine  Congress 
men  and  also  a  majority  of  the  members  of  the  legisla 
ture. 

The  surprising  feature  of  the  election  of  1868  was  the 
defeat  of  the  State  constitutional  amendment  enfran 
chising  the  negro  in  Missouri.  This  amendment  was 
submitted  by  the  legislature,  but  it  was  defeated  by  the 

1  Frank  P.  Blair  was  Seymour's  running  mate  for  Vice  President, 
but  he  was  not  able  to  swing  Missouri  away  from  Grant. 


EQUAL  TAXATION.    ABROCAT10N  OF  THE  'TEST  OATH"    AND  SEOTRKO  TO  ALL  THS 
SUtM  of  Ibl  Doion  tb«ir  RigbU  nudet  lb«  Ftdenl  Constitution. 


at  Sherwood's  hall-  February  22,  '68. 


FACSIMILE  OF  A  POSTER  USED  IN  THE 
CAMPAIGN  or  1868 

Reduced  in  size.  Note  the  protest  against 
granting  suffrage  to  the  negro  in  Missouri. 
From  a  copy  of  the  original  owned  by  F.  M. 
Harrington,  Kirksville,  Missouri. 


THE  RULE  OF  THE  RADICAL  PARTY  419 

people  by  more  than  19,000  votes,  the  opposition  coming 
from  the  Democrats,  who  voted  solidly  against  it,  and 
from  a  goodly  number  of  Republicans  also.  The  question 
of  enfranchising  the  negroes  had  been  an  important  issue 
in  the  State  ever  since  they  had  been  freed  in  1865,  but 
it  was  not  submitted  to  the  people  in  the  form  of  a  con 
stitutional  amendment  more  than  once.  Before  it  could 
be  submitted  again,  the  fifteenth  Amendment  to  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,  which  conferred  suffrage 
upon  the  negro  practically  everywhere  in  the  country, 
was  ratified  and  put  into  force,  and  thus  the  issue  was 
settled  without  any  further  contest  in  the  State. 

The  downfall  of  the  Radicals  in  1870  after  their  signal  Downfall  of 
successes  in  1866  and  1868  was  due  to  a  split  which  took  thf  Ra<?1" 

cals,  1870 

place  in  their  own  ranks.  As  we  have  already  seen,  there 
were  from  the  very  first  some  in  the  Radical  party  who 
advocated  a  change  in  its  policy.  But  party  discipline 
kept  the  liberal  element  under  control  until  1870,  when  it 
felt  compelled  to  withdraw  from  the  party  and  consolidate 
about  itself  all  the  opposing  forces.  The  leader  of  the 
seceding  Liberals  in  1870  was  Carl  Schurz.  He  had  come 
to  St.  Louis  in  1867  to  take  a  place  on  the  staff  of  the 
Westlicke  Post,  and  because  of  the  influence  which  he 
came  to  have  with  the  Germans  throughout  the  State, 
he  was  soon  able  to  take  high  rank  in  the  Radical  party 
in  Missouri.  In  1869  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate  from  Missouri.1 

The  issue  on  which  the  Radical  party  split  was  that  of   i.  Schism 
removing  the  restrictions  of  the  constitution  on  the  right  |c 
of  suffrage.     The  legislature  had  responded  to  the  pres-  o 
sure  that  was  coming  from  all  parts  of  the  State  and  had  Suffrage 
submitted   to   the  people  in   1870  a  series  of  constitu 
tional    amendments  removing   all  disqualifications  from 

1  Other  men  had  a  prominent  part  in  the  formation  of  the  Liberal 
party  in  Missouri,  among  whom  were  Edward  Grosvenor,  editor  of 
the  Missouri  Democrat,  and  Joseph  Pulitzer,  editor  of  the  St.  Louis 
Dispatch. 


420  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

the  disfranchised  people  of  the  State,  and  it  was  therefore 
necessary  for  the  Radicals  to  declare  whether  they  were 
for  or  against  the  adoption  of  these  amendments.  When, 
therefore,  the  Radical  state  convention  met  in  Jefferson 
City  in  August,  a  desperate  effort  was  made  to  get  it  to 
indorse  the  amendments.  The  struggle  came  up  over 
the  adoption  of  the  report  of  the  resolutions  committee. 
That  report  was  divided.  On  the  matter  of  suffrage  the 
majority  report  declared:  "That  the  Republican  party 
stands  pledged  to  remove  all  disqualifications  and  restric 
tions  imposed  upon  the  late  rebels  in  the  same  measure 
as  the  spirit  of  disloyalty  may  die  out  and  as  may  be  con 
sistent  with  the  safety  of  the  loyal  people ;  that  we  con 
sider  the  time  to  have  come  and  that  we  cordially  indorse 
the  action  of  the  legislature  of  Missouri  in  submitting  to 
the  qualified  voters  of  the  State  the  amendment  removing 
all  disqualifications  from  the  disfranchised  people  of 
Missouri  and  conferring  equal  political  rights  and  privileges 
on  all  classes,  and  we  earnestly  recommend  them  to  the 
people  for  their  approval  and  adoption."  On  the  other 
hand,  the  minority  report  declared  :  ' '  That  we  are  in  favor 
of  reenfranchising  those  justly  disfranchised  for  partici 
pating  in  the  late  rebellion  as  soon  as  it  can  be  done  with 
safety  to  the  State ;  and  that  we  concur  in  the  propriety 
of  the  legislature  having  submitted  to  the  whole  people 
of  the  State  the  question  as  to  whether  such  time  has  now 
arrived,  upon  which  question  we  recognize  the  right  of 
any  member  of  the  party  to  vote  his  honest  convictions." 
At  first  glimpse  there  seems  to  be  no  difference  between 
the  two  reports.  But  a  close  analysis  shows  that  the 
minority  report,  while  not  openly  opposing  the  amend 
ments,  "evaded  the  issue  by  virtually  repeating  the  prom 
ise  of  enfranchisement  at  some  later  time"  ;  and  that 
the  majority  report  demanded  reenfranchisement  imme 
diately.  When,  therefore,  by  a  vote  of  439  to  342,  the 
minority  report  was  adopted  by  the  convention,  250 
delegates  who  favored  the  majority  report  withdrew  from 


THE  RULE  OF  THE  RADICAL  PARTY 


421 


it  under  the  leadership  of  Schurz  and  nominated  a 
Liberal  Republican  ticket  of  their  own  with  B.  Gratz 
Brown  as  their  candidate  for  governor.1  The  Radicals 
renominated  McClurg  for  governor. 

In  the  campaign  that  followed,   the  Democrats  gave   2.  Alliance 
the   Liberals  their  hearty  support   as  far  as  the   State  Democrats 
ticket  was  concerned.     For  Congress  and  the  legislature  and 
they  nominated  practically  a  full  ticket  in  every  district  Llberals 
in  the  State.     The   result   of 
the    election     justified     their 
policy.      Brown   was    elected 
governor    over    McClurg    by 
a  majority  of  nearly   42,000, 
but    the    Democrats    elected 
five  Congressmen,    the   Radi 
cals  winning  only   three   and 
the  Liberals  two.     The  legis 
lature  was  won  by  the  Demo 
crats  and  Liberals.    But  more 
important  than  these  political 
successes  was  the  adoption  of 
several  constitutional  amend- 


B.  GRATZ  BROWN 


ments,  the  one  abolishing  the 

test  oath  being  carried  by  a  vote  of  127,000  to  i6,ooo.2 

From  this  vote  it  will  appear  that  the  majority  of  the 

1  B.  Gratz  Brown  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1826.     He  came  to 
St.  Louis  in  1849  and  began  the  practice  of  law.     He  was  a  member 
of  the  State  legislature  from  1852  to  1859  and  was  looked  upon  as 
the  leader  of  the  Benton  men  and  of  the  anti-slavery  movement  in 
Missouri  from  1854  to  1859.     Brown  was  strongly  opposed  to  seces 
sion  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  and  joined  the  Republican  party  in 
1  86  1.     He  was  in  command  of  a  regiment  of  troops  when  Camp 
Jackson  was  taken  and  later  commanded  a  brigade  in  the  Federal 
army.     He  was  a  member  of  the  United  States  Senate  from  1863  to 
1867.     In  1864  he  used  all  the  influence  he  could  command  to  get  an 
emancipation  ordinance  passed  .     He  was  elected  governor  of  Missouri 
in  1870. 

2  The  constitution  itself  authorized  the  legislature  to  suspend  or 
repeal  any  part  of  the  sections  dealing  with  the  test  oath  after 


422 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


3.    Passing 
of  Drake 
from 
Missouri 
Politics 


Significance 
of  Radical 
Rule  in 
Missouri 


Radicals  voted  for  the  amendment.  Inasmuch  as  the 
negro  had  been  enfranchised  through  the  ratification  of  the 
fifteenth  Amendment  of  the  National  Constitution,  to  con 
tinue  to  deprive  the  Confederate  whites  of  the  use  of  the 
ballot  seemed  unnecessary.  Undoubtedly  the  Radicals 
counted  on  the  new  negro  vote  offsetting  that  of  the 
reenfranchised  whites,  but  if  they  did,  they  were  doomed 
to  disappointment.  With  the  abolishing  of  the  test  oath 
the  bulwark  behind  which  the  Radicals  had  entrenched 
themselves  was  removed,  and  they  were  never  able  to 
come  back  again  into  power. 

With  the  defeat  of  the  Radicals  in  1870  their  most 
prominent  leader,  Drake,  passes  from  the  stage  as  an  actor 
in  the  public  affairs  of  the  State.  In  recognition  of  his 
services  and  leadership  he  had  been  elected  to  the  United 
States  Senate  in  1867,  but  he  resigned  his  seat  in  that  body 
in  1871  and  accepted  the  appointment  of  Chief  Justice  of 
the  United  States  Court  of  Claims.1  In  all  probability 
no  other  political  leader  ever  left  Missouri  politics  with 
greater  unpopularity  than  did  Drake. 

The  passing  of  Drake  was  "  coincident  with  the  end  of 
the  era  of  eight  years  in  which  the  Radical  party  had  been 
in  control  in  Missouri.  Under  its  rule  the  State  had  seen 
the  war  brought  to  a  successful  conclusion,  the  system  of 
slavery  forever  abolished,  and  the  new  economic  and  social 
problems  dealt  with.  There  is  no  question  but  that  Mis 
souri  from  1865  to  1870  grew  and  prospered.  "But  Radical 
rule,  perhaps  beneficial  in  the  beginning,  had  become 
reactionary  and  unpopular.  Reputed  corruption  in  high 
places,  failure  to  keep  abreast  with  the  times,  and  a  tend 
ency  to  depend  too  much  upon  mere  political  machinery 
had  alienated  finally  a  considerable  portion  of  the  Re 
publican  organization.  The  Radicals  had  failed  to 

January  I,  1871,  but  the  legislature  preferred  to  have  this  matter 
settled  by  direct  vote  of  the  people  in  advance  of  that  date. 

1  Frank  P.  Blair  was  elected  to  fill  Drake's  unexpired  term  in  the 
Senate.  This  was  his  last  office,  as  he  died  in  1875. 


THE  RULE  OF  THE  RADICAL  PARTY      423 

recognize  that  the  war  was  over  and  that  new  issues  were 
forging  to  the  front.  Their  failure  and  final  defeat  was 
to  be  expected  and  was  in  every  sense  justified." 

REFERENCES 

Carr,  Missouri,  ch.  xviii.  Switzler,  "Constitutional  Conventions 
of  Missouri,"  1865-75,  in  the  Missouri  Historical  Review,  January, 
1907,  pp.  108-119.  The  only  real  authority  on  the  subject  dealt 
with  in  this  chapter  is  a  dissertation  by  Thomas  S.  Barclay  on  The 
Origin  of  the  Liberal  Republican  Movement  in  Missouri,  which  he 
recently  presented  to  the  Political  Science  Department  of  the  Uni 
versity  of  Missouri  in  partial  fulfillment  of  the  requirements  for 
the  A.M.  degree.  This  dissertation  has  been  used  very  exten 
sively  by  the  author  of  this  book  in  writing  this  chapter.  As  it  has 
never  been  published,  it  is  not  available  for  general  use.  Mr.  Bar 
clay,  however,  will  publish  some  articles  in  the  Missouri  Historical 
Review  for  July  and  October,  1918,  in  which  he  will  present  the  main 
conclusions  that  he  has  reached  in  his  studies  on  the  subject. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


Campaign 
of  1872 


i .    Coalition 
between  the 
Liberal 
Republicans 
and  the 
Democrats 


THE    RETURN    OF    THE    DEMOCRATS    TO    POWER   IN 
MISSOURI 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  Presidential  Election  of  1872.] 

THE  Liberal  Republican  party  in  Missouri  had  been 
born  out  of  the  schism  that  had  arisen  in  the  ranks  of 
the  Radicals,  or  Republicans,  in  1870.  Many  thought 
that  the  split  was  but  temporary  and  that  the  Liberals 
would  all  come  back  into  the  regular  Republican  party 
in  the  next  campaign,  but  in  this  they  were  disappointed. 
Ultimately  the  Liberal  Republican  party  disappeared, 
but  its  members  became  divided  between  the  Demo 
cratic  and  the  Republican  parties,  most  of  them  going 
into  the  Democratic  party.  How  things  developed  along 
these  lines  we  shall  now  see. 

As  the  campaign  of  1872  drew  near,  the  leaders  of  the 
Liberal  Republicans  and  of  the  Democrats  decided  to 
renew  their  alliance  of  1870.  It  was  therefore  arranged 
to  hold  the  State  conventions  of  these  two  parties  at 
Jefferson  City  at  the  same  time.  They  convened  there 
on  August  21,  1872,  occupying  two  different  chambers 
in  the  capitol.  The  conventions  through  conference 
committees  kept  each  other  informed  of  their  proceedings. 
By  means  of  these  committees  it  was  arranged  that  the 
Democrats  should  nominate  one  of  the  two  Presidential 
electors  at  large,  six  of  the  thirteen  district  electors,  the 
governor,  the  treasurer,  the  auditor,  the  attorney  general, 
and  the  four  judges  of  the  supreme  court ;  and  that  the 
Liberal  Republicans  should  nominate  the  other  Presi 
dential  elector  at  large,  seven  district  electors,  the  lieu 
tenant  governor,  the  secretary  of  state  and  the  registrar 

424 


THE   RETURN  OF  THE   DEMOCRATS   TO  POWER      425 


of  lands.  Accordingly  each  convention  in  separate  session 
made  the  nominations  allotted  to  it,  and  afterward  the 
whole  ticket  was  ratified  by  a  joint  session  of  the  two 
conventions  amidst  a  great  deal  of  excitement  and  en 
thusiasm.  Under  these  arrangements  Silas  Woodson  was 
nominated  by  the  Democrats  for  governor,  and  Charles 
P.  Johnson  was  nominated  by  the  Liberal  Republicans  for 
lieutenant  governor. 

Meanwhile  the  Liberal 
Republican  movement  had 
spread  from  Missouri  into 
other  states  and  had  assumed 
national  form.  It  began  to 
take  this  form  at  a  gathering 
of  the  Liberal  Republicans  of 
Missouri  at  Jefferson  City  on 
January  24,  1872,  at  which 
nearly  all  of  the  counties  of 
the  State  were  represented. 
Here  it  was  decided  to  call  a 
meeting  at  Cincinnati  on 
May  first,  to  which  were 
invited  all  persons  who  were 


SILAS  WOODSON 
Governor  of  Missouri,  1872-74. 


The 


2.   Liberal 
Republican 
National 
Convention 


dissatisfied  with  Grant's  ad-  *£ 

ministration,  especially  with 

the  way  in  which  it   had  been  handling  the  Southern 

problems. 

This  convention  at  Cincinnati  was  in  reality  nothing 
more  than  a  mass  meeting.  "Except  in  a  few  places  the 
Liberal  Republicans  had  no  organization  and  the  members 
of  the  convention  were  all  volunteers."  It  was  found, 
therefore,  that  some  states  had  but  a  small  number  of 
representatives  present,  while  others  had  a  very  large 
number.  The  question  of  membership  in  the  convention 
proved  to  be  a  very  difficult  one,  but  it  was  finally  settled 
and  the  organization  of  the  convention  was  completed 
by  making  Senator  Schurz  of  Missouri  chairman.  The 


426 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


3.  Victory  of 
Coalitionists 
in  Missouri 


Campaign 
of  1874 


task  of  drafting  a  platform  and  of  nominating  the  Presi 
dent  and  the  Vice  President  was  then  taken  up.  The  plat 
form  adopted  called  for  "  universal  amnesty,  impartial 
suffrage,  local  self  government,  the  maintenance  of  the 
writ  of  habeas  corpus,  and  civil  service  reform."  But  the 
convention  made  an  unfortunate  selection  for  President. 
The  Missourians  had  come  to  the  convention  with  the 
determination  to  secure  the  nomination  of  B.  Gratz 
Brown,  one  of  the  country's  leading  exponents  of  the 
Liberal  cause.  Instead  of  selecting  him,  however,  the  con 
vention  nominated  Horace  Greeley,  who,  notwithstand 
ing  his  great  ability,  had  but  little  sympathy  with  the 
Liberal  program.  Brown  was  nominated  for  Vice  Presi 
dent.  Subsequently  the  Democratic  national  conven 
tion  adopted  the  platform  and  the  candidates  of  the 
Liberal  Republican  convention. 

In  Missouri  the  coalition  between  the  Liberal  Republi 
cans  and  the  Democrats  won  a  very  great  victory. 
Greeley  and  Brown  carried  the  State  over  Grant  and 
Wilson  by  more  than  32,000  votes,  and  Woodson  defeated 
Henderson,  who  had  been  nominated  for  governor  by 
the  regular  Republicans,  by  more  than  35,000.  However, 
Grant  was  overwhelmingly  reelected,  only  six  or  seven 
states  having  been  carried  by  Greeley. 

Notwithstanding  these  successes  of  the  Liberal  Re 
publicans  and  the  Democrats  in  Missouri  in  1870  and  1872, 
the  Liberal  Republicans  were  destined  to  disappear  as 
a  separate  party  in  the  State  before  1874,  when  the  next 
State  election  occurred.  This  was  perhaps  the  natural 
thing  to  happen.  Two  parties  in  coalition  with  each 
other  cannot  long  remain  as  separate  parties ;  one  must 
give  way  to  the  other.  In  this  case  the  Liberal  Re 
publicans  gave  way  to  the  Democrats.  Not  all,  however, 
of  the  first  party  went  over  to  the  second,  for  many  of 
the  Liberals  returned  to  the  ranks  of  the  old  Republican 
party. 

But  it  was  not  until  1876  that  the  regular  Republicans 


THE    RETURN   OF   THE   DEMOCRATS   TO   POWER      427 

entered  the  political  field  in  Missouri  as  a  separate  party,   i.  People's 
In    1874   they  united  in   Missouri  with  the   Grange  in  combination 
forming  what  was  known  as  the  People's  party  or  the  of  the  Grange 
Reform  party.     This  new  party  put  out  a  State  ticket  with 
William   Gentry,   a  prominent  farmer  and  Republican, 
as  their  candidate  for  governor. 

The  Grange  had  been  founded  as  a  national  organiza 
tion  in  1876  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  the  farmers  to 
purchase  supplies  at  first  hand  and  thus  save  for  them 
selves  the  middlemen's  profits.  This  organization  ex 
cluded  from  its  membership  lawyers,  merchants,  bankers, 
and  capitalists.  It  grew  steadily  from  the  start,  but  a 
very  decided  impetus  was  given  to  its  further  develop 
ment  by  the  panic  of  1873.  This  panic  had  been  brought 
on  by  the  wild  and  excessive  speculation  that  had  been 
indulged  in  after  the  war.  It  hit  Missouri  very  hard; 
many  men  were  thrown  out  of  employment  and  many 
people  lost  very  heavily  from  the  failure  of  banks  and 
other  business  enterprises. 

In  two  years  after  the  panic  the  membership  of  the 
Grange  was  quadrupled,  numbering  1,500,000  by  the 
year  1875.  It  was  very  strong  in  Missouri,  but  not  so 
strong  as  in  Illinois  and  Wisconsin.  It  compelled  the 
State  government  of  Missouri  to  reduce  expenditures 
and  to  introduce  a  system  of  regulation  for  railroads  and 
corporations. 

Notwithstanding   this   combination   between   the    Re-   2.  victory 
publicans  and  the  Grange,  the  Democrats  won  the  elec-  Democrats 
tion   of    1874.     Hardin,    the    Democratic   candidate   for 
governor,   led   Gentry   by   a  majority   of   37,000.      The 
Democrats  also  elected  all  thirteen  of  the  Congressmen  to 
which    Missouri    was    then    entitled.     It    is    significant, 
however,  that  neither  Hardin  nor  Gentry  polled  as  large 
a  vote   as  did   Woodson   and   Henderson   in    1872,  not 
withstanding  the  fact  that  the  population  of  the  State  was 
rapidly  increasing.1     The  explanation  for  this  slump  in  the 

1  Hardin's  vote  in  1874  was  7000  less  than  Woodson's  in  1872. 


428 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Democratic 
Rule  in 
Missouri 
since  1874 


vote  in  1874  is  that  before  the  election  occurred  it  was 
generally  considered  that  the  Democrats  would  be  suc 
cessful  and  hence  both  parties  relaxed  their  efforts  some 
what  and  did  not  bring  out  their  full  strength  at  the 
polls.  The  defeat  of  the  People's  party  in  1874  had  a 
decided  reaction  upon  the  strength  of  the  Grange  and  it 
immediately  began  to  decline.1 

For  more  than  20  years  after  the  victory  of  1874  the 
Democrats   enjoyed  an  unbroken  series  of  victories  at 

the  polls  in  Missouri  over 
their  regular  opponents,  the 
Republicans.  In  1894,  owing 
to  the  Republican  landslide 
that  swept  over  the  whole 
country,  the  Democrats  suf 
fered  their  first  defeat  in 
Missouri  after  1874,  the  Re 
publicans  electing  not  only 
the  state  superintendent  of 
schools,  a  supreme  court  jus 
tice,  and  the  railroad  and 
warehouse  commissioner,  but 
also  a  majority  of  the  mem 
bers  of  the  house  of  represen 
tatives.  In  1 904  they  elected 
the  entire  State  ticket  except 
the  governor,  and  in  1908 

they  elected  the  governor.2  The  Presidential  election  in 
both  of  these  years  was  carried  by  the  Republicans.  With 
these  exceptions  the  Democrats  have  remained  in  power 
in  Missouri  from  1874  down  to  the  present  time. 

In  1874  the  legislature  passed  an  act  authorizing  the 

1  The  Grange  still  exists  as  a  national  and  a  state  organization, 
but  it  is  no  longer  an  institution  in  politics. 

2  Joseph  W.  Folk  was  elected  governor  in  1904  on   the   Demo 
cratic  ticket,  and  Herbert  S.  Hadley  was  elected  governor  in  1908 
on  the  Republican  ticket. 


HERBERT  S.  HADLEY 

Governor  of  Missouri,  1909-13. 
The  first  Republican  Governor  of 
Missouri  since  1872. 


THE   RETURN   OF   THE   DEMOCRATS   TO   POWER      429 

people  to  vote  in  November  on  the  proposition  as  to  Constitution 
whether  or  not  a  convention  should  be  held  to  revise  of  l875 
and  amend  the  constitution  which  had  been  adopted  in 
1865.  The  proposition  was  carried  by  a  narrow  majority 
of  283  votes.  The  aggregate  vote  on  the  question  was 
222,315,  which  was  39,000  below  the  aggregate  vote  for 
governor  in  the  same  election.  A  special  election  was 
held  on  January  26,  1875,  to  elect  the  delegates  to  this 
convention.  Of  the  68  delegates  elected,  60  were  Demo 
crats,  6  were  Republicans,  and  2  were  Liberal  Republi 
cans. 

The  convention  met  at  Jefferson  City  on  May  5  and   i.  Constitu- 
continued  in  session  until  August  2.     It  proceeded  with  convention 
its  work  by  appointing  a  series  of  committees  whose  duty 
was  to  draft  different  parts  of  the  constitution  and  sub 
mit  them  to  the  convention  for  consideration.1     Among 
these  committees  were  those  on   the   bill  of   rights,  the 
legislative    department,   the   executive   department,   the 
judicial  department,  revenue   and   taxation,  and  educa 
tion. 

There  was  considerable  debate  over  the  report  of  the 
committee  on  the  legislative  department.  The  article 
that  was  adopted  on  the  basis  of  this  report  (Article  iv) 
contained  a  great  many  regulations  as  to  the  method  of 
procedure  in  the  passage  of  bills.  Among  these  were  the 
following : 

No  law  shall  be  passed  but  by  bill ;  no  bill,  except 
appropriation  bills,  shall  contain  more  than  one  subject ; 
all  amendments  adopted  shall  be  printed  with  the  en 
grossed  bill  before  its  passage ;  no  bill  shall  become  a 
law  unless  on  its  final  passage  the  vote  shall  be  taken  in 
yeas  and  nays ;  no  law  except  a  general  appropriation 
act  shall  take  effect  until  90  days  after  final  adjournment, 

1  As  the  Proceedings  of  the  Convention  of  1875  are  still  in  manu 
script  form  and  have  not  been  published,  it  is  not  possible  to  discuss 
the  work  of  this  convention  as  fully  as  that  of  the  conventions  of 
1820  and  1865. 


430  HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 

unless  an  emergency  clause  be  enacted  by  a  two-thirds 
vote  of  all  the  members  elected  to  each  house  ;  and  before 
each  bill  is  signed  by  the  presiding  officer  of  each  house, 
it  shall  be  read  at  length  within  the  hearing  of  the  mem 
bers. 

Considerable  debate  was  occasioned  over  the  question 
of  representation  and  apportionment.  There  was  a 
strong  demand  that  county  representation  be  abandoned 
and  that  something  like  equal  electoral  districts  be 
adopted,  but  such  a  scheme  failed  to  carry.  The  two 
previous  constitutions  had  provided  for  county  repre 
sentation,  and  the  convention  of  1875  was  unwilling  to 
abandon  it,  notwithstanding  the  inequality  in  popula 
tion  among  the  various  counties. 

In  the  article  dealing  with  the  executive  department 
(Article  v)  the  gubernatorial  term  was  lengthened  from 
two  years  to  four,  and  the  governor  was  made  ineligible 
to  succeed  himself.1 

In  the  article  providing  for  the  judicial  department 
(Article  vi)  many  new  and  important  provisions  were 
enacted,  among  which  were  the  fixing  of  the  term  of  the 
supreme  court  judges  at  ten  years  and  the  creation  of  the 
St.  Louis  court  of  appeals  with  three  judges  for  a  term  of 
twelve  years.2  All  the  judges  of  these  courts  and  of  the 
circuit  courts  were  to  be  elected  by  the  people. 

In  the  article  dealing  with  revenue  and  taxation  (Article 
x)  provision  was  made  that  the  State  tax,  exclusive  of  the 
tax  to  pay  the  bonded  debt  of  the  State,  should  not  exceed 
twenty  cents  on  a  hundred  dollars,  and  should  not  ex 
ceed  fifteen  cents  whenever  the  taxable  property  of  the 
State  amounted  to  over  $900,000,000.  Moreover,  the 
taxing  and  debt-contracting  powers  of  the  legislature 

1  In  these  respects  the  constitution  of  1875  returns  to  the  consti 
tution  of  1820. 

2  Since  1875  two  new  courts  of   appeals  have  been  created,  one 
at  Kansas  City  and  one  at  Springfield.     Each  of  these  courts  has  a 
bench  of  three  judges. 


THE   RETURN   OF   THE   DEMOCRATS   TO   POWER       431 

and  of  counties,  cities,  towns,  and  all  other  municipali 
ties  were  hedged  about  by  effective  safeguards  and  limita 
tions. 

Provision  was  made  in  the  article  on  education  (Article 
xi)  for  the  increase  and  preservation  of  State  and  county 


MISSOURI  COUNTIES  FROM  1876  TO  THE  PRESENT 

The  only  change  that  has  been  made  in  the  counties  of  Mis 
souri  since  1861  is  the  erection  of  the  city  of  St.  Louis  into  a 
separate  county  in  1876. 


funds  for  the  maintenance  of  the  public  school  system. 
Moreover,  it  was  made  the  duty  of  the  legislature  to 
aid  and  maintain  the  State  university  then  established 
with  its  various  departments.  Separate  free  public 
schools  for  the  education  of  negro  children  were  also  pro 
vided  for. 

The   constitution   as   drafted   by   the   convention   was   2:  Adoption 

of  the  Con- 
submitted  to  the  people  on  October  30,  and  was  adopted  stitution 


432 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


Demands 
for  a  New 
Constitution 


i .    Present 
Constitution 
Too  Long 
and  Compli 
cated 


by  a  vote  of  91,205  to  14,517.  It  was  put  into  effect  on 
November  30,  1875.* 

The  constitution  as  adopted  in  1875  has  remained  in 
force  down  to  the  present.  Certain  amendments  have 
been  added  to  it  from  time  to  time,  but  in  its  most 
fundamental  parts  it  has  remained  unchanged.  For  a 
number  of  years,  however,  there  have  been  constant 
demands  for  a  thorough  revision  of  this  constitution. 
These  demands  have  come  from  different  sections  of  the 
State  and  from  different  classes  of  people.  At  least  two 
causes  can  be  given  for  the  rise  of  these  demands. 

In  the  first  place,  the  Missouri  constitution  is  now  con 
sidered  to  be  too  long  and  complicated.  ' '  In  order  to  stand 
the  test  of  time  a  constitution  must  be  brief.  It  should 
embrace  only  the  fundamental  organization  of  the  govern 
ment,  if  it  is  intended  to  be  permanent,  as  opposed  to 
statutes  which  require  modification  and  repeal  from  time 
to  time."  The  National  Constitution  and  the  first  con 
stitution  of  Missouri  were  framed  in  accordance  with  this 
principle.  The  one  contained  originally  only  about  4000 
words,  to  which  have  been  added  about  2000  words  in 
the  way  of  amendments  ;  the  other  contained  only  about 
10,000  words.  But  the  present  constitution  of  Missouri 
contains  about  30,000  words,  not  counting  the  amend 
ments. 

That  the  constitution  of  Missouri  of  1875  was  drawn 
out  to  such  great  length  was  due  to  the  desire  of  the  people 
to  put  certain  matters  beyond  the  power  of  the  legisla 
ture  and  other  officials  to  change  or  do  away  with.  Hence, 
certain  things  that  would  ordinarily  have  been  provided 


1  Acting  under  the  authority  granted  by  this  constitution,  the  city 
of  St.  Louis  separated  itself  from  St.  Louis  County  in  1876,  enlarged 
its  territorial  limits  (it  had  already  annexed  the  city  of  Carondelet 
in  1871),  erected  itself  into  an  independent  municipality,  and  adopted 
a  special  charter.  This  separation  of  St.  Louis  from  the  county  is 
the  last  change  that  has  been  made  in  the  county  organization  of  the 
State.  See  the  map  on  page  431. 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE   DEMOCRATS   TO   POWER      433 

for  by  legislation  were  incorporated  in  the  constitution 
where  they  could  not  be  modified  or  repealed  by  the 
general  assembly.  "The  constitution  thus  became  a 
code  of  laws  instead  of  a  fundamental  document." 

In  the  second  place,  the  provisions  of  the  Missouri  2.  its 
constitution  are  too  detailed  in  character,  thus  giving  it  Inflexlbllltv 
an  inflexibility  that  has  prevented  it  from  being  easily 
adapted  to  new  conditions.  When  the  provisions  of  a 
constitution  are  fundamental  in  character,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  National  Constitution,  "it  is  possible  to  include 
within  their  scope  new  needs  which  arise  from  time  to 
time."  Hence  the  functions  of  our  National  Government 
have  been  greatly  increased  without  any  material  amend 
ments  to  the  Constitution.  "In  our  State  constitution, 
however,  matters  are  regulated  with  such  detail  that 
this  is  impossible.  As  new  conditions  arise,  the  statutes 
enacted. for  their  regulation  will  frequently  conflict  with 
the  provisions  of  the  constitution  which  were  adopted 
under  entirely  different  conditions,  but  which  become 
at  the  present  time  sources  of  litigation  and  obstacles 
to  progress." 

The  greatest  amount  of  detail  in  the  present  constitution  3.  Provisions 
is  in  those  sections  that  deal  with  taxation  and  revenue.   regarding 
This  is  due  to  the  desire  that  prevailed  in  1875  to  limit  and  Revenue 
the  financial  powers  of  the  legislature  and  of  the  various 
local  governmental  bodies.     The  unfortunate  experience 
which  the  State  had  had  with  the  building  of  railroads  had 
developed  this  cautiousness.    The  constitution  of  1820  had 
put  very  few  limitations  upon  the  financial  powers  of  the 
legislature,  and  that  body,  as  we  have  seen  in  a  former 
chapter,  had  incurred  before  1861  a  debt  of  more  than 
$25,000,000  in  behalf  of  the  railroads,  which  the  State  was 
forced  to  pay  without  any  remuneration.     Moreover,  in 
the  "Drake  Constitution  of  1865,"  the  county  courts  were 
authorized  to  issue  bonds  in  behalf  of  railroads  whenever   (a)  Railroad 
two  thirds  of  the  qualified  voters  should  assent  thereto.   Frauds 
Unfortunately  the  conditions  that  prevailed  during  the 


434  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

ten  years  following  the  adoption  of  the  "Drake  Constitu 
tion  ' '  made  possible  a  great  deal  of  corruption  in  the  coun 
ties  throughout  the  State.  Often  the  county  courts  were 
composed  of  men  who  could  be  induced  by  dishonest 
promoters  to  submit  to  the  people  propositions  to  issue 
bonds  for  railroads  that  were  never  intended  to  be  built ; 
and  as  many  of  the  property  holders  and  men  of  influence  in 
these  counties  were  disfranchised  on  account  of  the  test  oath 
of  the  "  Drake  Constitution,"  the  bonds  were  often  carried 
through  the  extensive  use  of  bribery  among  the  very  much 
restricted  electorate.  In  some  instances  the  county  courts 
were  induced  to  subscribe  in  behalf  of  the  counties  to  the 
projected  railroads  without  submitting  the  proposition 
to  the  people  at  all.  Bonds  to  the  amount  of  $15,000,000 
were  in  this  way  issued  by  the  counties.  This  would  not 
have  been  so  bad  except  that  the  railroads  for  which 
these  bonds  had  been  issued  were  seldom  constructed. 
Sometimes  a  road  would  be  built  for  a  short  distance 
and  then  the  work  on  it  would  be  completely  abandoned. 
Meanwhile  the  bonds  which  the  different  county  courts 
had  issued  to  the  companies  that  subsequently  failed 
to  build  the  roads  came  into  the  hands  of  ostensibly 
innocent  parties  who  demanded  payment.  In  some 
counties  the  bonds  were  paid  in  full,  and  in  others 
the  matter  was  compromised,  whereby  the  counties  paid 
from  fifty  to  eighty  per  cent  of  the  face  value  of  the 
bonds.  In  certain  counties,  however,  the  payment  of 
the  bonds  either  in  part  or  in  full  was  bitterly  opposed 
for  many  years.1 

1  The  bondholders  brought  suit  in  the  United  States  courts  against 
the  counties  that  had  refused  to  make  payment,  and  they  obtained 
judgments  in  their  favor.  But  they  had  a  difficult  time  in  getting 
these  judgments  enforced.  The  county  judges  refused  in  many 
instances  to  obey  the  order  of  the  United  Scates  courts  to  levy  the 
taxes  with  which  to  pay  the  bonds,  even  though  they  were  im 
prisoned  for  their  refusal.  After  long  years  of  controversy,  the 
matter  has  been  settled  by  compromise  in  most  of  the  counties  which 
had  resisted  the  payment  of  these  bonds. 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  DEMOCRATS  TO   POWER     435 


It  was  to  prevent  the  repetition  of  such  recklessness   (b)  Limita 
tions  on 
Taxation 


and  fraud  in  the  issuing  of  bonds  as  has  just  been  de-  tlonson 


scribed  that  caused  the  convention  of  1875  to  include  in 
the  new  constitution  provisions  which  forebade  the  legis 
lature  imposing  any  debt  upon  the  State  in  any  amount 
exceeding  $250,000  for  any  year,  unless  two  thirds  of 
the  voters  at  an  election  should  authorize  it  to  do  so,  and 
which  also  prohibited  towns  and  counties  from  issuing 
bonds  for  any  purpose  whatsoever  except  for  the  con 
struction  of  public  improvements.  In  addition  to  these 
limitations  placed  upon  the  various  government  authori 
ties  in  the  State  with  regard  to  borrowing  money  or  issuing 
bonds,  there  were  also  very  strict  limitations  put  upon 
their  power  to  levy  taxes. 

Salutary  as  these  limitations  were  at  the  time  of  their  4-  Refusal  of 
adoption,  they  have  become  somewhat  of  a  restriction  J^caU^ 
upon  the  development  of  the  State  as  a  whole  and  upon  Constitu- 
that  of  towns  and  counties.     An  agitation  has  recently  convention 
been  started  for  a  new  constitution.     As  yet,  however, 
the  legislature  has  shown  an  unwillingness  to  call  a  con 
stitutional    convention.      In    1917    the   house   passed   a 
resolution  providing  for  such  a  convention,  but  the  senate 
refused  to  concur. 

REFERENCES 

Harvey,  State  of  Missouri  from  Its  Territorial  Days  to  1904,  ch. 
xviii.  The  articles  that  Mr.  Barclay  promises  for  the  Missouri  His 
torical  Review  for  July  and  October,  1918,  mentioned  in  the  Refer 
ences  of  the  preceding  chapter,  will  contain  material  bearing  upon 
this  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XXII 


Rise  of  the 
Free  Silver 
Issue 


i .    Green- 
hack 
Movement 


THE   FREE    SILVER    CAMPAIGN   IN    MISSOURI 

[Historical  Setting.  —  The  Presidential  Campaign  of  1896.] 

MISSOURI  played  an  important  part  in  developing  the 
sentiment  that  produced  the  free  silver  issue  in  our  na 
tional  politics  in  1896.  Although  this  issue  was  quickly 
laid  aside  after  it  had  once  been  definitely  formulated, 
it  stirred  the  country  perhaps  more  deeply  than  has  any 
other  since  the  Civil  War,  and  for  that  reason  we  are 
justified  in  giving  a  little  attention  here  to  the  part  that 
Missouri  took  in  the  matter. 

The  free  silver  question  was  not  suddenly  formulated 
and  thrust  upon  the  American  public  without  warning. 
For  more  than  twenty  years  the  issue  had  been  develop 
ing.  The  foundation  was  laid  for  it  by  the  greenback 
movement  which  arose  shortly  after  the  Civil  War. 
After  the  resumption  of  peace  and  the  return  of  the  soldiers 
to  the  various  industries  of  the  country,  there  came  about 
a  vast  increase  in  the  amount  of  farm  products.  At  the 
same  time  the  volume  of  the  currency  of  the  country  was 
becoming  greatly  contracted  through  the  effort  that 
was  being  made  to  stop  the  use  of  the  greenbacks  that 
had  been  issued  during  the  war.  The  increase  in  the 
output  of  the  farms  and  the  contraction  in  the  volume  of 
the  currency  conspired  to  reduce  prices.  As  the  farmers 
were  the  first  to  feel  the  effects  of  this  depression,  they 
began  to  demand  that  the  government  should  discontinue 
the  retirement  of  the  greenbacks  and  resume  issuing  them 
for  an  indefinite  period  of  time. 

This  demand  for  the  continued  use  of  the  greenbacks 
gave  rise  to  the  Greenback  party,  which  figured  in  the 

436 


THE   FREE   SILVER   CAMPAIGN   IN  MISSOURI      437 

Presidential  campaigns  of  1876,  1880,  and  1884.  In  none 
of  these  campaigns  did  the  party  succeed  in  getting  a 
single  electoral  vote,  but  in  1880  it  developed  consider 
able  strength  in  Missouri.  Indeed,  Missouri  was  the 
banner  Greenback  state  that  year,  giving  Weaver,  the 
Presidential  candidate  of  the  party,  a  larger  vote  than 
he  received  in  any  other  state/  and  electing  four  of 
the  eight  Congressmen  that  were  elected  by  the  Green- 
backers  in  the  country  at  large. 

Greenbackism  subsided  in  Missouri  after  1880,  but  2.  Populist 
it  was  revived  under  the  form  of  Populism  in  1892.  The  Movement 
hard  times  that  overtook  the  country  in  the  late  eighties 
led  to  the  formation  of  the  National  Farmers'  Alliance 
in  1890,  and  this  was  expanded  into  the  Populist  party 
by  1892.  Most  of  those  who  still  adhered  to  the  green 
back  idea  went  over  to  the  Populist  party  in  1892,  when 
it  adopted  most  of  the  ideas  of  the  old  Greenback  party 
arid  nominated  Weaver,  the  Greenback  candidate  of 
1880,  for  President.2  Weaver  mustered  a  following  in  Mis 
souri  amounting  to  more  than  40,000,  but  Missouri  was 
far  from  being  the  banner  Populist  state.3 

Although  the  Greenback  and  Populist  parties  lived 
for  only  a  short  time,  they  reenforced  the  influences  that 
were  at  work  throughout  certain  sections  of  the  country 
formulating  the  free  silver  issue,  and  in  that  way  they 
acquired  a  special  significance  in  the  history  of  the  politi 
cal  parties  in  this  country. 

The  free  silver  issue  began  to  assume  definite  shape  3.  Bland 
when  on  November  5,  1877,  Richard  Parks  Bland,  Con-  Silver  Bill, 
gressman  from  Missouri,  introduced  a  bill  into  the  House 

1  Weaver  received  35,000  votes  in  Missouri  that  year. 

2  Weaver   carried    six   states   and    received    22    electoral    votes. 
Kansas  was  the  greatest  stronghold  of  Populism. 

3  The  Populists  adopted   the  Greenbackers'  ideas  of  unlimited 
and  full  legal  tender  notes,  assailed  the  banks,  declared  for  free  silver 
and  for  the  purchase  of  railroads  and  telegraph  and  telephones  by 
the  government,  and  demanded  loans  by  the  government  at  low  rates 
of  interest  on  the  deposits  of  farm  products. 


438 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


4.   Sherman 
Act,  1890 


of  Representatives  directing  the  free  and  unlimited  coin 
age  of  silver  dollars  of  the  weight  of  41 2  J  grains  of  stand 
ard  silver  which  were  to  be  legal  tender  at  their  nominal 
value  for  all  debts  and  dues,  public  and  private,  except 
when  otherwise  provided  for  by  contract.  This  bill 
was  to  undo  "the  crime  of  1873,"  that  is,  the  Act  passed 

in  that  year  which  discon 
tinued  the  coinage  of  the 
silver  dollar.  Bland  had 
been  elected  to  Congress 
in  1872,  but  he  had  at 
tracted  no  attention  until 
he  introduced  this  bill  in 
1877.  Thereafter  he  be 
came  a  "national  charac 
ter,"  and  the  silver  ques 
tion  became  ' '  an  absorbing 
issue  in  American  politics." 
Eland's  bill  was  passed 
by  Congress  in  a  modified 
form,  so  that  instead  of  the 
free  and  unlimited  coinage 
of  silver,  provision  was 
made  for  the  coinage  of  not 
less  than  $2,000,000  and  not  more  than  $4,000,000  of  silver 
of  the  prescribed  weight  each  month,  and  in  addition 
provision  was  made  that  the  profit  of  coinage  should 
go  into  the  national  treasury  instead  of  to  the  owners 
of  the  bullion.  President  Hayes  vetoed  the  bill,  but 
Congress  passed  it  over  his  veto. 

In  spite  of  the  passage  of  Eland's  bill,  the  price  of 
silver  continued  to  fall.  To  counteract  this  continued 
decline  in  the  price  of  silver,  Bland  tried  to  get  Congress 
to  pass  his  original  bill,  which  provided  for  free  and  un 
limited  coinage,  but  Congress  refused  to  comply  with 
his  recommendation.  Finally  Congress  passed  the  Sher 
man  law  of  1890,  which  directed  the  President  to  pur- 


RICHARD  PARKS  BLAND 

Congressman  from  Missouri,  1873-95, 
1897-99.  Author  of  the  Bland  Silver 
Bill  and  original  leader  of  the  Free 
Silver  movement. 


THE   FREE   SILVER   CAMPAIGN  IN  MISSOURI      439 

chase  4,500,000  ounces  of  silver  each  month  at  the  market 
price  and  to  issue  in  payment  for  it  treasury  notes  which 
were  to  be  legal  tender  and  which  were  to  be  redeemed 
in  gold  or  silver  at  the  discretion  of  the  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury.  This  law  was  repealed  in  1893,  doubtless 
because  of  the  panic  that  occurred  that  year. 

By  this  time  the  free  silver  issue  was  becoming  a  party  5.  Formula- 
issue.     When  Bland  first  introduced  his  measure  in  1877,   £.°JJe°f  the 
it  was  supported  by  Democrats  and  Republicans  alike ; 
it  was  by  no  means  thought  of  as  a  partisan  matter. 
But  the  Sherman  law  was  enacted  in  1890  by  a  Republican 
Congress,  and  was  repealed  in    1893   by  a   Democratic 
Congress.     Free  silver  was  by  this  time  becoming  a  politi 
cal  issue.     There  was,  however,  considerable  uncertainty 
in  1894  as  to  which  of  the  parties  would  become  the  free 
silver  party. 

Notwithstanding  Eland's  prominence  in  Missouri  and  Free  Silver 
the  nation,  he  found  a  great  deal  of  opposition  to  his  Missouri 
free  silver  notions  among  the   Democrats   of  Missouri. 
This  showed  itself  at  the  Democratic  State  convention 
in    1894.     Ex-Governor    Francis    led    the    faction    that 
opposed   Bland  and   succeeded   in  modifying   the   State 
platform  so  that  although  the  free  coinage  of  silver  was   i.  Campaign 
demanded,  the  demand  was  not  so  strong  as  Bland  had  c 
wanted  it.     Moreover,  there  was  no  mention  of  sixteen 
to   one  in  the  platform,  but   there  was   a  more  or  less 
ambiguous    statement    that    gold    and    silver    should   be 
coined  at  such  a  ratio  as  would  maintain  the  two  metals 
in  circulation. 

The  election  of  1894  was  very  disastrous  for  the  Demo 
crats  in  Missouri  as  well  as  in  the  country  at  large.  Of 
the  fifteen  Congressmen  from  Missouri,  the  Democrats 
elected  only  five,  whereas  in  1892  they  had  elected  thir 
teen.  Bland  was  among  the  Democrats  who  were  de 
feated.  The  Republicans  not  only  elected  ten  Congress 
men  but  they  also  elected  the  State  ticket  for  that 
year,  including  the  state  superintendent  of  schools,  a 


440 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


2.   Pertle 
Springs 
Convention, 
1895 


3.   Bland 
a  Candidate 
for  the 
Presidency 


supreme  court  judge,  and  a  railroad  and  warehouse  com 
missioner. 

Notwithstanding  his  failure  to  get  the  State  Demo 
cratic  convention  to  endorse  his  free  silver  program  in  full 
in  1894,  Bland  succeeded  in  swinging  the  party  into  line 
with  him  by  the  time  the  next  election  was  held.  The 
means  employed  in  effecting  this  was  the  holding  of  a 
State  convention  at  Pertle  Springs  in  August,  1895. 
It  was  decidedly  unusual  to  hold  such  a  convention  in  an 
"off  year,"  but  Bland  was  determined  to  get  the  majority 
of  the  Democratic  party  behind  him,  and  to  have  Mis 
souri  lead  in  nation-wide  free  silver  propaganda. 

Accordingly  the  Pertle  Springs  convention  was  held 
on  August  6,  1895,  with  Bland  presiding.  After  con 
siderable  debate,  the  convention  passed  a  series  of  resolu 
tions  demanding  the  free  coinage  of  silver  at  the  ratio 
of  sixteen  to  one  without  waiting  for  the  action  and  ap 
proval  of  any  other  nation.  It  also  increased  the  size 
of  the  State  committee  by  adding  nineteen  more  members 
to  the  original  fifteen,  thus  securing  to  the  free  silver 
element  an  undoubted  control  of  the  State  committee. 
This  committee  was  instructed  to  call  the  State  Demo 
cratic  convention  to  elect  delegates  to  the  national  con 
vention  not  later  than  April,  1896.  The  object  of  hold 
ing  the  State  convention  at  least  three  months  in  advance 
of  the  national  convention  was  to  sound  the  keynote 
of  the  campaign  for  the  other  democratic  State  gatherings 
in  the  West  and  South.1 

Eland's  program  was  carried  out  to  the  letter.  The 
State  convention  was  held  in  Sedalia  on  April  15,  1896, 
and  it  unhesitatingly  declared  for  the  free  and  unlimited 
coinage  of  silver  at  the  ratio  of  sixteen  to  one.  It  also 
nominated  Bland  for  President.  As  was  planned,  most 
of  the  States  in  the  southern  and  western  parts  of  the 

1  On  February  29,  1896,  the  gold  Democrats  met  at  St.  Louis 
and  protested  against  the  program  of  the  free  silver  element  in  the 
party. 


THE   FREE   SILVER   CAMPAIGN  IN  MISSOURI      441 

country  took  their  cue  from  the  Missouri  convention 
and  likewise  declared  for  free  silver.  Doubtless  the 
free  silver  Republicans  were  encouraged  by  the  impetus 
that  Missouri  had  given  to  the  free  silver  movement  to 
withdraw  from  the  Republican  convention  at  St.  Louis  . 
in  June  when  that  convention  declined  to  insert  a  free 
silver  plank  into  its  platform.  Bland,  however,  was 
defeated  for  the  nomination  of  the  Presidency  in  the 
Democratic  convention  held  in  Chicago  in  July,  notwith 
standing  the  lead  he  maintained  over  all  other  candidates 
on  the  first  three  ballots.  On  the  sixth  ballot  William 
Jennings  Bryan  of  Nebraska,  who  had  captivated  the  con 
vention  with  his  "cross  of  gold  speech,"  was  nominated. 

Although  the  Missouri   Democrats  were  greatly  dis-  4.  Campaign 
appointed  that  Bland  had  not  received  the  nomination,  of  l8g6 
they  rallied  in  great  strength  to  Bryan,  giving  him  more 
than  363,000  votes,  nearly  60,000  more  than  McKinley 
received.1      The  gold  Democrats  proved  to  be  fewer  in 
number  than  was  expected,  as  there  were  only  2,355  votes 
cast  for  Palmer.      Doubtless  many  of   them   voted   for 
McKinley  instead  of  the  candidate  of  their  own  faction. 

REFERENCES 

Byars,  Richard  Parks  Bland.  A  very  elaborate  biography  of  this 
distinguished  Missourian.  Harvey,  The  State  of  Missouri  from  Its 
Territorial  Days  to  1904,  ch.  xx. 

1  Bryan's  popularity  in  Missouri  declined  considerably  during  the 
Presidential  campaign  of  1900,  his  plurality  over  McKinley  amount 
ing  to  only  38,000  as  compared  with  60,000  in  1896.  In  the  cam 
paign  of  1908  he  failed  to  carry  the  State  against  Taft  by  less  than 
1000  votes. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

RECENT  ECONOMIC   AND    SOCIAL   DEVELOPMENT  IN 
MISSOURI 

[Historical  Setting.  —  Recent  Economic  and  Social  Develop 
ment  in  the  United  States.] 

UNDER  the  heading  of  this  chapter  many  things  might 
very  profitably  be  discussed,  but  the  limitations  of  this 
book  compel  us  to  confine  ourselves  to  a  few  topics. 


MAP  SHOWING  THE  CLASSIFICATION  OF  THE  STATES  ACCORDING  TO 
INCREASE  IN  POPULATION  FROM  1900  TO  1910 

Those  that  have  been  chosen  for  discussion  are :  the 
growth  in  population  of  the  State ;  the  development  of 
its  industries  and  wealth ;  its  indebtedness ;  its  educa 
tional  institutions  ;  and  the  prohibition  movement  within 
the  State.  They  will  be  taken  up  in  the  order  named. 

442 


ECONOMIC  AND   SOCIAL  DEVELOPMENT 


443 


i.    GROWTH  OF  POPULATION 
The  population  of  the  State,  according  to  the  census  of  Rate  of 


1910,  was  3,293,335.  In  1810,  when  the  first  census  was 
taken  in  what  is  now  Missouri,  it  was  only  20,845.  Dur 
ing  the  one  hundred  years  intervening  between  these 
two  dates,  there  was  a  continuous  growth  in  population 
decade  by  decade.  At  times  the  growth  was  very  large, 
especially  in  the  early  period.  At  other  times  it  was 
relatively  small,  particularly  during  the  decade  between 
1900  and  1910.  The  following  table  shows  the  popula 
tion  from  time  to  time,  the  percentage  of  growth,  and 
the  rank  of  Missouri  among  the  states  of  the  Union. 


YEAR 

POPULATION 

PERCENTAGE  OF 
GROWTH 

RANK  AMONG 
THE  STATES 

1810 

20,845 



23 

1820 

66,586 

230 

23 

1830 

140,455 

112 

21 

1840 

383,702 

173 

16 

1850 

682,044 

78 

13 

1860 

1,182,012 

70 

8 

1870 

1,721,295 

45 

5 

1880 

2,168,380 

24 

5 

1890 

2,679,184 

23 

5 

1900 

3,106,065 

16 

5 

1910 

3,293,335 

6 

7 

It  will  be  noted  from  this  table  that  the  rate  of  in 
crease  in  the  population  of  the  State  has  steadily  declined 
since  1840,  and  that  between  1900  and  1910  it  was  less  than 
ten  per  cent.1  This  decline  after  1880  was  due  largely  to 
the  fact  that  all  the  good  government  lands  had  been  en 
tered  by  that  time,  so  that  farmers  wanting  cheap  lands 

1  There  were  ten  states  whose  increase  in  population  was  less 
than  ten  per  cent  during  the  decade  from  1900  to  1910.  They  were 
Iowa,  Indiana,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Maryland,  Delaware,  Vermont, 
New  Hampshire,  Maine,  and  Missouri.  See  map  on  page  442. 


Increase  of 
Population 
from  1810 
to  1910 


444 


HISTORY   OF  MISSOURI 


were  compelled  to  go  farther  west  and  northwest.  The 
increase  in  population  which  Missouri  has  enjoyed  since 
1880  has  been  chiefly  in  her  cities.  St.  Louis  is  now  the 
fourth  city  in  the  Union,  Kansas  City  the  twentieth, 
and  St.  Joseph  the  sixtieth.1 

It  will  also  be  noted  from  this  table  that  as  early  as 
1870  Missouri  ranked  fifth  in  the  nation  in  population. 


Rank  of 
Missouri  in 
Population 
in  the 
Nation 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  VIEW  OF  KANSAS  CITY  ABOUT  1875 

This  is  the  more  remarkable  because  in  1860  she  ranked 
only  eighth,  and  because  during  the  first  half  of  the 
decade  between  1860  and  1870  there  was  a  decided  fall 
ing  off  in  the  population  of  the  State,  owing  to  the  great 
number  that  were  killed  in  the  war  and  to  the  removal 
of  a  great  many  others  from  the  State  for  safety.  This 
loss  was,  however,  more  than  made  up  during  the  latter 
half  of  that  decade,  so  that  the  net  gain  for  the  decade 

1  New  York,  Chicago,  and  Philadelphia  rank  above  St.  Louis  in 
the  order  named.  The  population  of  St.  Louis  in  1910  was  687,029 ; 
of  Kansas  City,  248,381  ;  of  St.  Joseph,  77,403.  St.  Joseph  in 
creased  her  population  by  97  per  cent  between  1890  and  1900. 


ECONOMIC   AND    SOCIAL   DEVELOPMENT          445 

was  nearly  45  per  cent.  Many  a  Union  soldier  from 
Illinois,  Indiana,  and  Ohio  who  had  served  in  Missouri 
during  the  war  came  back  to  settle  after  peace  was  de 
clared.  Moreover,  large  numbers  of  people  were  in 
duced  to  move  to  Missouri  after  the  war  through  the 
special  efforts  of  the  immigration  bureau,  and  many  more 
came  to  the  State  in  the  general  westward  movement 
that  set  in  after  1865. 

Missouri  was  able  to  hold  fifth  place  among  the  states 
of  the  Union  in  population  from  1870  to  1910,  after  which 
she  dropped  back  to  seventh.  New  York,  Pennsylvania, 
Illinois,  Ohio,  Texas,  and  Massachusetts  now  (1918) 
rank  ahead  of  Missouri  in  the  order  named.  There  is 
little  likelihood  of  its  ever  recovering  its  position  as  fifth. 

2.    DEVELOPMENT  OF  INDUSTRIES  AND  WEALTH 

Missouri  is  primarily  an  agricultural  state.  Of  the  Agriculture 
44,000,000  acres  lying  within  its  borders,  34,600,000  make 
up  the  277,244  farms  which  the  State  is  said  to  have; 
but  of  these  34,600,000  acres  only  about  24,600,000  are 
under  cultivation.  In  other  words,  about  10,000,000 
acres  included  within  our  farms  ,either  are  unworked  or 
are  used  for  rough  pasturage.  In  addition  there  are 
about '4, 000,000  acres  as  yet  unsettled.1 

Notwithstanding  the  immense  amount  of  land  that  is 
as  yet  uncultivated,  Missouri  ranks  first  among  the 
states  of  the  Union  in  its  annual  poultry  products,  second 
in  mules,  third  in  corn,  and  seventh  in  wheat.  When 
every  available  acre  of  land  in  the  State  is  properly  tilled, 
the  annual  output  of  corn,  wheat,  oats,  hay,  and  similar 
staples  will,  it  is  estimated,  be  increased  more  than  60 
per  cent,  besides  the  great  gains  that  will  be  made  in  the 
production  of  vegetables,  fruit,  dairy  products,  live  stock, 

1  In  twenty  counties  more  than  95  per  cent  of  the  total  land  area 
is  included  in  the  farms  of  those  counties,  while  in  only  six  counties 
is  the  farming  land  from  20  to  40  per  cent  of  the  total  area,  and  in  none 
is  it  less  than  20  per  cent. 


446 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


Mining 


Manufac 
tures  and 
Commerce 


honey,  wool,  and  other  farm  commodities.  "What  Mis 
souri  could  do  if  it  was  divided  up  into  small  farms  rang 
ing  from  forty  to  one  hundred  acres  and  each  worked  in 
tensively,  would  be  almost  beyond  belief  to  anyone  who 
has  never  cultivated  on  a  scientific  scale."  1 

The  average  value  per  acre  of  the  farms  in  Missouri 
in  1917  was  $41.80,  having  doubled  in  less  than  ten 
years.2  In  three  counties  (St.  Louis,  Jackson,  and 
Buchanan)  the  average  value  exceeds  $100  per  acre.  In 
only  three  counties  (Taney,  Ozark,  and  Shannon)  is  the 
average  value  less  than  $10  per  acre.  The  total  value  of 
the  farms  of  the  State  is  $1,445,982,389,  and  including 
the  buildings,  implements,  machinery,  and  domestic  ani 
mals  used  in  the  cultivation  of  the  farms,  it  rises  to  more 
than  $2,000,000,000. 

But  Missouri  is  not  merely  an  agricultural  state.  It 
takes  high  rank  in  other  industries.  In  mining  and 
minerals  it  is  first  in  zinc,  lead,  cadmium,  tripoli,  and 
barytes,  fourth  in  mineral  paints,  fifth  in  the  manufac 
ture  of  lime,  seventh  in  clay  products,  Portland  cement, 
sand  and  gravel,  and  ninth  in  building  stone. 

Missouri  is  also  rising  rapidly  in  the  realm  of  manu 
factures  and  commerce.  She  maintains  high  rank  in 
the  production  of  boots  and  shoes,  tobacco,  malt  liquors, 
street  and  railway  cars,  brick  and  tiling,  canned  goods, 
pearl  buttons,  walnut  lumber,  flour,  feed  and  meal,  pack 
ing  house  products,  railroad  ties,  printing,  clothing, 
drugs  and  chemicals,  and  bakery  and  dairy  products. 

1  Of  Missouri's  277,244  farms  only  74,178  are  from  50  to  99  acres 
in  size.  The  following  table  classifying  the  farms  of  the  State  accord 
ing  to  size  is  suggestive  : 

Under  3  acres        .     . 

3  to  9  acres 

10  to  19  acres 

20  to  49  acres       .     . 


455 

8,561 

10,740 

47,398 


50  to  99  acres 


100  to  174  acres  . 
175  to  259  acres  . 
260  to  499  acres  . 
500  to  999  acres  . 
1000  acres  and  over 


80,020 
32,109 
19,812 
3,427 
544 


2  In  1890  it  was  only  $20.46. 


ECONOMIC   AND    SOCIAL   DEVELOPMENT  447 

In  the  boot  and  shoe  and  the  tobacco  trades,  St.  Louis 
has  advanced  very  rapidly  in  recent  years,  so  that  it 
stands  to-day  as  one  of  the  country's  greatest  centers  of 
these  industries.  We  have  already  seen  in  another  chap 
ter  how  St.  Louis  has  come  to  be  the  greatest  fur  market 
in  the  world.  Kansas  City  and  St.  Joseph,  are  rising 
rapidly  in  the  packing  industry. 

Shortly  after  the  Civil  War  Chicago  began  to  forge 
ahead  of  St.  Louis  as  a  commercial  center,  because  of 
the  superior  transportation  advantages  which  the  Great 
Lakes  and  the  railroads  afforded,  giving  her  connection 
with  points  in  all  directions,  especially  to  the  west  and 
northwest,  and  to  the  east  and  northeast.  But  in  recent 
years  St.  Louis  and  Kansas  City  have  been  able  to  de 
velop  commercially  the  vast  stretch  of  territory  that  lies 
to  the  southwest,  and  they  are  gaining  rapidly  under  the 
influence  of  this  trade.1 

The  development  of  the  wealth  of  the  State  since  the  Taxable 
Civil  War  may  be  seen  from  the  following  table  showing  Wealth 
the  taxable  wealth  by  decades  from  1860.     This  taxable 
wealth  includes  real  estate,  personal  property,  railroads 
and  bridges,  and  telephone  and  telegraph  properties. 


1860 $296,522,806 

1870 504,255,855 

1880 527,993,520 

1890 756,283,894 

1900 1,001,766,464 

1910 1,464,685,422 

1916 1,856,885,145 

It  is  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  actual  wealth  of  the 
State  is  several  times  what  is  set  down  here  as  its  taxable 
wealth.  In  all  probability  the  amount  for  each  decade 
should  be  multiplied  by  three  or  four  to  get  approximately 
the  valuation  of  the  actual  wealth  in  the  State. 

1  The  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  held  in  St.  Louis  in  1904 
gave  the  State  a  great  opportunity  to  exhibit  its  economic  and  indus 
trial  resources  to  the  world  at  large. 


448  HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 

3.    INDEBTEDNESS 

State  When  Missouri  entered  the  Union  in  1821  she  had  no 

Debt  indebtedness  hanging  over  her,  but  by  1829  it  was  neces 

sary  to  borrow  $70,000  to  redeem  the  outstanding  audi 
tor's  warrants  and  the  loan  office  certificates.1  In  1837 
the  State  issued  its  first  bonds  so  that  it  might  be  able 
to  take  stock  in  the  Bank  of  the  State  of  Missouri,  which 
was  chartered  that  year.  Later  other  bonds  were  issued 
for  the  building  of  a  capitol,  for  .making  internal  im 
provements,  for  building  a  tobacco  warehouse  in  St. 
Louis,  for  waging  war  against  Iowa,  the  Mormons,  and 
the  Indians,2  and  for  paying  the  accrued  interest  on 
bonds.  By  1846  the  public  debt  of  the  State  amounted  to 
$957,261. 

In  the  fifties  and  sixties  the  State  had  piled  up  an 
enormous  debt  for  herself  in  attempting  to  help  the 
railroads,  an  account  of  which  has  been  given  in  Chapter 
IX.  This  added  $23,701,000  to  the  State  indebtedness, 
which  was  further  increased  during  the  Civil  War  by 
various  war  expenditures  amounting  to  $8,464,275,  most 
of  which,  however,  was  in  the  form  of  floating  debts. 
The  total  debt  of  the  State  in  1865  was  $36,094,908, 
of  which  $24,754,000  was  bonded  and  $11,340,908  float 
ing. 

By  careful  economy,  amounting  sometimes  to  parsi 
mony,  the  State  succeeded  in  canceling  the  last  vestige 
of  this  debt  in  1905.  A  new  debt,  however,  was  in 
curred  in  1912,  to  the  amount  of  $3,500,000,  for  the  pur- 

1  Missouri  established  loan  offices  in  1821,  and  authorized  them 
to  issue  certificates  to  the  amount  of  $200,000  with  mortgages  on 
real  estate  or  personal  property  as  security.  The  scheme  did  not 
succeed,  owing  to  the  manner  in  which  the  original  intention  of  these 
offices  was  diverted.  Loan  offices  were  therefore  soon  abolished. 

2  The  war  with  Iowa  was  over  the  boundary  between  that  state 
and  Missouri.  The  troubles  with  the  Mormons  arose  from  various 
causes  and  led  to  their  expulsion  from  the  State  in  1839.  This 
matter  is  fully  discussed  in  Chapter  X. 


ECONOMIC  AND   SOCIAL  DEVELOPMENT  449 


450 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


Certificates 
of  Indebted 
ness 


i.    Origin  of 

the  State 
School  and 
Seminary 
Funds 


2.    Invest 
ment  of  these 
Funds 


pose  of  rebuilding  the  capitol,  which  had  been  burned  in 
February,  19  n.1 

In  addition  to  this  recently  incurred  bonded  debt, 
the  State  school  fund  and  the  seminary  fund  of  Missouri 
are  held  in  the  form  of  State  certificates  of  indebtedness 
and  are  therefore  a  part  of  the  State  debt  upon  which 
Missouri  pays  annually  a  certain  rate  of  interest.  The 
first  of  these  funds  amounted  in  1917  to  $3,159,281,  and 
the  second  to  $1,276,839.  The  income  which  the  State 
pays  to  itself  on  the  school  fund  certificate,  together 
with  one  third  of  the  general  revenue  of  the  State,  is 
apportioned  annually  by  the  state  superintendent  to  the 
counties  and  to  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  according  to  certain 
rules  governing  the  apportionment ;  while  that  which  is 
received  on  the  seminary  certificate  is  used  for  the  sup 
port  of  the  State  University.  How  the  State  came  to 
acquire  such  a  debt  will  be  briefly  outlined  here. 

The  origin  of  the  State  school  fund  and  the  seminary 
fund'  is  to  be  found  in  the  grants  of  land  made  by  the 
National  Government  to  Missouri  at  the  time  of  her  ad 
mission  into  the  Union.  According  to  the  Enabling 
Act  of  1820,  the  new  State  was  given  for  its  use  all  the 
salt  springs  within  its  borders,  not  exceeding  twelve  in 
number,  with  six  sections  of  land  adjoining  each.  It  was 
decided  by  the  legislature  to  put  the  proceeds  of  the 
sale  of  this  land  into  the  school  fund  of  the  State,  which, 
the  legislature  had  started  in  1837  when  it  set  aside  for 
that  purpose  the  share  that  Missouri  had  received  from 
the  distribution  of  the  surplus  funds  in  the  national 
treasury  the  year  before. 

By  October  i,  1842,  the  State  school  fund  amounted 
to  $575,667,  all  of  which  was  invested  in  the  stock  of  the 
Bank  of  the  State  of  Missouri,  which  had  been  chartered 
by  the  legislature  in  1837.  On  the  whole,  this  form  of 
investment  was  never  very  satisfactory,  as  the  dividends 

1  The  bonded  indebtedness  of  the  counties  amounted  to  $5,000,000 
in  1910,  and  that  of  the  cities  to  $30,000,000. 


ECONOMIC   AND    SOCIAL   DEVELOPMENT          451 

from  the  bank  were  not  paid  regularly,  and  there  was 
great  fluctuation  in  the  rate  even  when  the  dividends  were 
paid.  The  bank  stock  which  was  held  by  the  school 
fund  was  therefore  sold  in  March,  1866,  to  Captain  J.  B. 
Eads,  the  sale  price  amounting  to  $718,235.  Although 
the  stock  sold  at  a  slight  premium,  it  was  paid  for  in  the 
bonds  of  the  State,  so  that  while  the  transaction  reduced 
the  State  debt,  it  did  so  by  using  up  most  of  the  school 
fund.  In  1866  all  that  was  left  of  this  fund  was  $153,389. 

In  that  year,  however,  Missouri  was  reimbursed  to  the 
amount  of  $7,000,000  by  the  National  Government  for 
the  expenditures  it  had  made  in  enrolling,  maintaining, 
and  equipping  the  militia  during  the  Civil  War.  In  1867 
the  legislature  decided  to  appropriate  $1,500,000  of  this 
amount  to  be  used  for  the  benefit  of  the  public  schools, 
and  invested  it  in  United  States  bonds.  In  addition, 
other  investments  were  made  in  United  States  and 
Missouri  bonds  so  that  by  1870  the  State  school  fund 
amounted  to  $1,674,986. 

Meanwhile,  nothing  had  been  done  to  replace  in  the 
State  school  fund  what  had  been  taken  out  of  it  by  the 
sale  of  the  stock  of  the  Bank  of  the  State  of  Missouri. 
In  1872,  however,  the  legislature  decided  to  order  the 
auditor  to  issue  a  certificate  of  indebtedness  for  $900,000 
at  six  per  cent  annual  interest.  This  amount  was  about 
equal  to  what  would  have  been  the  sale  price  of  the  bank 
stock  in  1866  plus  the  interest  on  it  for  six  years.  In 
this  way  the  State  attempted  to  make  up  for  the  diver 
sion  of  the  greater  part  of  its  school  fund  in  1866. 

In  1875  the  State  board  of  education  ordered  the  sale  3.  Consoli- 


of  the  United  States  bonds  that  were  being  held  by  the          " 


Fund 
State  for  the  school  fund  to  the  amount  of  $1,671,600, 

and  the  money  thus  realized  was  invested  in  Missouri 
bonds.  From  time  to  time  other  sums  were  added  to 
the  fund,  so  that  by  January  i,  1881,  it  amounted  to 
$2,909,792.  In  that  year  the  legislature  passed  an  act 
consolidating  this  fund  and  issuing  for  it  a  certificate  of 


452 


HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 


4.    Constitu 
tional 
Amend 
ments,  1902 


Current 
Deficien 
cies 


indebtedness  for  the  entire  amount  of  the  fund,  payable 
in  thirty  years  after  date,  with  interest  at  six  per  cent. 

In  time  this  transaction  created  a  great  deal  of  con 
troversy,  especially  in  the  first  two  or  three  years  of  this 
century.  It  was  freely  asserted  that  there  was  no  con 
stitutional  authority  for  what  had  been  done,  and  there 
was  considerable  talk  about  the  "looting  of  the  school 
fund."  While  there  was  no  foundation  for  the  charge  of 
looting,  there  was  good  reason  for  doubting  whether  the 
use  of  this  fund  to  reduce  the  debt  of  the  State  was  con 
stitutional.  In  order,  therefore,  to  set  at  rest  all  uncer 
tainty  in  the  matter,  a  constitutional  amendment  was 
submitted  to  the  people  in  1902,  providing  for  the  renewal 
of  this  certificate  of  indebtedness  for  the  State  school 
fund ;  the  amendment  was  adopted.  The  amount  of 
the  permanent  State  school  fund  in  1917  was,  as  has  been 
said,  $3,159,281. 

At  the  same  time  that  this  amendment  regarding  the 
State  school  fund  was  adopted,  another  concerning  the 
seminary  fund  was  also  adopted.  This  fund,  like  the 
school  fund,  had  for  its  origin  another  grant  of  land  made 
by  Congress  in  the  Enabling  Act  of  1820.  By  this  grant 
Congress  donated  seventy-two  sections  of  land  for  the 
establishment  and  support  of  the  seminary  of  learning. 
The  history  of  the  founding  and  growth  of  that  institution 
will  be  traced  briefly  in  another  part  of  this  chapter. 
Space  will  not  permit  even  an  outline  of  the  history  of 
the  seminary  fund  here,  but  it  should  be  noted  that,  like 
the  State  school  fund,  the  seminary  fund  had  come  to 
be  invested  in  Missouri  bonds  during  the  seventies,  and 
that  in  1902  all  question  as  to  the  constitutionality  of 
this  investment  was  removed  by  the  adoption  of  a  con 
stitutional  amendment  authorizing  the  renewal  of  the 
certificate  of  indebtedness  for  the  seminary  fund. 

For  more  than  ten  years  there  has  been  a  gradual  fall 
ing  behind  in  the  finances  of  the  State,  owing  to  the  in 
creased  demands  on  the  part  of  the  various  State  institu- 


ECONOMIC   AND    SOCIAL   DEVELOPMENT  453 

tions  in  order  to  carry  on  their  work  effectively,  and  to  the 
failure  of  the  legislature  to  secure  adequate  funds  to  meet 
these  demands.  The  matter  was  brought  to  a  climax 
at  the  close  of  the  biennial  period  of  1915-16,  when  a 
$2,000,000  deficit  had  accumulated.  Governor  Gardner 
thereupon  laid  the  matter  before  the  legislature  and  suc 
ceeded  in  getting  such  revenue  laws  passed  as  will  enable 
the  State  to  pay  off  this  deficit  in  two  years  and  at  the 
same  time  to  meet  the  slightly  increased  appropriations 
for  1917-18. 

4.    EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS 

Since  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  Missouri  has  made  Education 
considerable  progress  in  the  field  of  education.  Although  pr*fristo°uii 
the  State  began  to  establish  elementary  schools  early  the  Civil 
after  its  admission  into  the  Union,  these  institutions  War 
were  very  inferior  at  the  time  the  war  broke  out.  This 
was  due  largely  to  the  lack  of  funds  with  which  to  sup 
port  them.1  Public  education  was  not  generally  popular 
in  Missouri  at  that  time,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
the  constitution  of  the  State  declared  that  "schools 
should  be  forever  encouraged."  Most  people  favored 
academies  or  parochial  schools  which  were  maintained 
by  the  private  enterprise  of  individuals  or  by  the  church. 
It  was  not  so  much  because  of  the  superior  character  of 
these  private  institutions  (for  most  of  them  were  not  any 
better  than  public  schools),  but  because  they  were  pri 
vate  institutions  and  hence  had  a  restricted  patronage 
that  they  were  held  in  high  esteem  by  most  persons 
in  Missouri  prior  to  the  Civil  War.  As  far  as  the  field 
of  secondary  education  was  cultivated  at  all,  it  was  done 
by  these  private  academies,  whose  number  scarcely  ex 
ceeded  two  hundred  in  Missouri  in  1850.  The  academy 

1  The  sources  of  income  of  the  public  elementary  schools  were 
at  that  time  about  the  same  as  to-day,  that  is,  township  funds,  county 
funds,  State  fund,  appropriations  from  the  general  State  revenue, 
and  local  taxes.  But  the  sum  total  of  income  derived  from  these 
sources  was  very  small  and  was  quite  inadequate. 


454  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

was  primarily  a  secondary  institution,  but  it  usually  of 
fered  instruction  in  elementary  subjects  also. 

In  the  realm  of  higher  education  there  was  even  less 
done  than  in  that  of  secondary  education.  The  State 
University  had,  it  is  true,  been  founded  in  1839,  but  it 
was  as  yet  without  financial  support  from  the  State  and 
had  but  a  handful  of  students.  Although  five  other  mem 
bers  of  the  present  college  union  of  Missouri  had  been 
chartered  by  1860,  namely,  St.  Louis  University  (1832), 
William  Jewel  College  (1849),  Westminster  College  (1853), 
Washington  University  (1853),  and  Central  College  (1855), 
they  were,  like  the  State  University,  very  limited  in  their 
faculties  and  meager  in  their  equipment.1  Outside  of 
mathematics  and  the  classics,  the  courses  of  study  in  all 
these  institutions  of  higher  learning  were  not  as  advanced 
as  those  of  a  good  high  school  of  to-day.  Moreover,  there 
was  not  a  single  institution  in  the  State,  public  or  private, 
that  gave  any  attention  to  the  preparation  of  teachers. 
It  is  not  at  all  surprising,  therefore,  that  under  these 
circumstances  the  elementary  and  secondary  schools  of 
the  State,  both  private  and  public,  were  of  a  very  ordi 
nary  character. 

Education  During  the  Civil  War  all  forms  of  educational  effort  were 

seriously  interfered  with.  Not  only  did  the  State  discon 
tinue  making  appropriations  out  of  the  general  revenues 
for  the  support  of  public  schools  and  divert  the  income 
from  the  State  school  fund  to  other  purposes,  but  in  most 
communities  local  school  taxes  were  no  longer  levied. 
The  result  was  that  most  of  the  public  schools  were  closed 
during  practically  trie  whole  period  of  the  war.  Second 
ary  and  collegiate  institutions,  including  the  University 
and  several  of  the  colleges,  were  forced  to  suspend  either 
for  a  part  or  the  whole  of  the  period.  Serious  damage 
was  done  in  many  cases  to  the  property  of  these  in- 

1  All  of  these  institutions  but  William  Jewel  College  were  actually 
founded  before  they  were  chartered,  and  some  of  them  had  been 
operating  for  several  years  prior  to  being  granted  a  charter. 


ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  DEVELOPMENT          455 

stitutions,  and  various  educational  projects  that  were 
about  to  be  inaugurated  in  1860  had  to  be  abandoned 
altogether. 

From  these  disastrous  effects  of  the  war  the  educational  Education 
system  of  Missouri  was  a  long  time  recovering.  The 
"Drake  Constitution"  of  1865  contained  some  very 
wholesome  provisions  regarding  education,  and  serious 
efforts  were  made  by  State  Superintendent  Parker  to 
rehabilitate  the  schools  throughout  the  State  on  the 
basis  of  these  provisions. 

The  legislature  passed  a  set  of  laws  in  1867  known  as  i.  Elemen- 
the  "Parker  Laws,"  which  provided  for  a  very  elaborate  tary  School? 
school . system,   but  which  proved  "too  theoretical  and 
centralizing  to  receive  the  support  of  the  people."     Pub 
lic  education  had  not  been  popular  in  Missouri  before  the 
war,  and  the  effects  of  that  conflict  were  to  make  the 
task  of  building  up  popular  sentiment  in  favor  of  it  all 
the  more  difficult. 

The  scheme  as  outlined  by  Parker  in  1867  failed  and 
was  superseded  in  1874  by  another  framed  by  Superin 
tendent  Monteith.  This  proved  to  be  somewhat  more 
acceptable  and  it  has  formed  the  basis  of  the  present 
school  system  of  the  State.  The  essential  feature  in  the 
system  that  was  established  in  1874,  as  compared  with 
the  one  attempted  in  the  Parker  laws,  was  the  almost 
complete  control  which  the  people  of  the  school  dis 
tricts  acquired  over  their  schools.  They  were  authorized 
to  select  the  school  directors,  determine  the  length  of 
term  of  the  school,  levy  the  taxes  for  the  maintenance  of 
the  school  and  for  the  erection  of  schoolhouses,  and  to 
elect  the  county  commissioner,  now  the  county  super 
intendent.  Recently  efforts  have  been  made  to  sub 
stitute  for  this  popular  control  established  in  1874  some 
of  the  features  of  the  more  centralized  scheme  of  Parker 
of  1867.  But  the  scheme  of  popular  control  and  direc 
tion  as  adopted  in  1874  has  remained  essentially  un 
changed  down  to  the  present. 


456 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


It  is  not  possible  to  give  here  an  account,  even  in  mere 
outline,  of  the  history  of  the  school  system  of  the  State 
since  1874.  On  the  whole,  one  may  say  that  the  period 
has  been  marked  by  steady  growth  and  development. 


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MAP  OF  MISSOURI  SHOWING  BY  COUNTIES  THE  DISTRIBUTION  OF 
THE  FIFTY-ONE  APPROVED  HIGH  SCHOOLS  OF  THE  STATE  IN  DECEM 
BER,  1898 

The  figure  above  or  below  the  name  of  the  county  indicates  the  number  of 
approved  high  schools  in  that  county.  Of  the  114  counties  in  the  State  only 
39  counties  had  approved  high  schools  at  that  time. 

We  see  this  first  of  all  in  the  elementary  schools.  Not 
only  have  practically  all  elementary  schools  of  the  towns 
and  villages  been  organized  on  the  graded  school  basis,1 
but  through  the  consolidation  of  school  districts  rural 

1  There  were  not  more  than  one  hundred  graded  schools  in  Mis 
souri  in  1878. 


ECONOMIC   AND  SOCIAL   DEVELOPMENT 


457 


schools  are  beginning  to  be  put  on  the  same  basis.  The 
old-fashioned,  unsanitary,  "box  car"  type  of  rural  school- 
house  is  rapidly  being  replaced  by  buildings  that  are 
not  only  sightly  but  also  modern  in  their  architectural 


of  St-Lovtt 


I  I  I         S          i I 4HOWBM.I  -,.-.r-.^ 

I '» '  BARRY   8T«mi       i  !  i  ' 

JH.OONWO!     T      I    1     !T^NEy|02ARM    •  !  ««O»N  !«•  •"-« v' 


MAP  OF  MISSOURI  SHOWING  BY  COUNTIES  THE  DISTRIBUTION  OF 
THE  236  FIRST  CLASS  HIGH  SCHOOLS  AND  THE  93  SECOND  CLASS  HIGH 
SCHOOLS  IN  THE  STATE  ON  JANUARY  i,  1917 

Sixteen  counties  were  at  that  time  without  any  first  class  high  schools. 

Nine  counties  were  without  either  first  or  second  class  high  schools. 

Two  counties  were  without  first,  second,  or  third  class  high  schools. 

The  figure  above  the  name  of  the  county  indicates  the  number  of  first  class 
high  schools  in  that  county ;  the  figure  below  the  name,  the  number  of  second 
class  high  schools  in  that  county. 

arrangement,. thanks  to  the  vigorous  campaign  for  better 
rural  schoolhouses  that  was  begun  by  John  R.  Kirk 
while  he  was  state  superintendent  of  schools  from  1895 
to  1899.  Moreover,  many  of  the  rural  schools  are  be- 


458  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

ginning  to  acquire  equipment  for  work  that  would  not 
have  been  dreamed  of  by  town  schools  twenty-five  years 
ago. 

2.  High  We  see  evidences  also  of  great  improvement  in  the  high 

schools  of  the  State.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  public  high 
school  had  not  yet  come  into  existence  in  the  State  by 
1874,  except  in  the  large  cities  such  as  St.  Louis,  Kansas 
City,  St.  Joseph,  and  the  like.  In  1917  there  were  in 
Missouri  236  first  class  high  schools,  93  second  class, 
and  206  third  class,  besides  118  unclassified  schools, 
many  of  which  are  strenuously  striving  to  become  classi 
fied.1  Among  these  high  schools  are  a  number  of  rural 
township  high  schools  which  have  been  made  possible 
by  the  consolidation  of  rural  school  districts.  Many  of 
the  city  high  schools,  some  of  which  are  classified, 
are  beautifully  housed  and  are  equipped  with  excellent 
apparatus  and  appliances.2  A  great  improvement  in 
the  personnel  of  the  public  school  teachers  is  also  notice 
able.  The  requirements  for  the  certification  of  teachers 
have  been  raised  from  time  to  time,  especially  in  recent 
years,  and  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  their  salaries 
have  not  increased  in  proportion  to  the  additional  re 
quirements  for  certification,  the  teachers  have  very  nobly 
responded  to  the  demands  that  have  been  made  upon 
them. 

If  space  would  permit,  considerable  attention  might  be 
given  to  such  recent  matters  as  the  establishment  of 
the  system  of  county  supervision  of  schools,  the  granting 
of  special  State  aid  to  weak  school  districts,  the  lengthen 
ing  of  the  term  of  school,  the  compulsory  attendance 
law,  the  teacher-training  courses,  and  the  like.  Each  of 

1  There  were  in  1899  only  27  high  schools  on  the  approved  list 
of  first  class  high  schools,  38  on  the  list  of  second  class  high  schools, 
and  65  on  the  list  of  third  class  high  schools. 

2  It  is  highly  significant  that  with  the  improvement  of  the  public 
high  schools  the  private  academies  have  declined,  most  of  them 
having  passed  completely  out  of  existence.     There  were  only   17 
approved  academies  operating  in  the  State  in  1916. 


ECONOMIC  AND   SOCIAL  DEVELOPMENT          459 

these  topics  is  indicative  of  some  advance  made  by  the 
State  in  education.  But  while  they  cannot  be  discussed 
here,  a  word  or  two  must  be  said  about  the  development 
of  the  higher  institutions  of  learning  since  the  Civil  War. 

The  University  of  Missouri  was  made  possible  through  3.  Univer- 
the  grant  of  two  sections  of  land  by  the  National  Govern-  ^Y  of  . 

Missouri 

ment  to  the  State  at  the  time  when  the  people  were  au 
thorized  to  draft  a  constitution  and  establish  a  State  gov 
ernment.  The  constitution  of  1820  provided  that  the 


UNIVERSITY  OF  MISSOURI,  1874 

The  main  building  in  the  center  was  burned  in  1892.  The  president's  home 
on  the  left  and  the  building  on  the  right  (now  used  by  the  School  of  Journal 
ism)  are  still  standing. 

legislature  should  undertake  to  improve  the  lands  that 
had  thus  been  given  for  the  support  'of  a  University,  and 
further  provided  that  it  should  furnish  means  for  the  im 
provement  and  permanent  security  of  the  funds  and  en 
dowments  of  the  University.  It  was  not,  however,  until 
1839  that  the  State  undertook  to  make  provision  for 
the  founding  of  the  University,  and  it  was  not  until  1867 
that  it  gave  the  University  any  direct  financial  support. 
Between  1839  and  1867  the  University  depended  upon 
the  income  from  the  seminary  fund  and  from  tuition  fees. 
In  1867,  however,  the  legislature  appropriated  $10,000 
for  the  rebuilding  of  the  home  of  the  president  of  the 
University,  and  further  granted  to  the  institution  if  per 


460 


HISTORY  OF   MISSOURI 


cent  of  the  State  revenue  after  deducting  25  per  cent  of 
that  revenue  for  the   support  of  the  common   schools. 


MAIN  BUILDING  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  MISSOURI 

As  it  appeared  before  it  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1892.  The  columns  of  the 
front  portico  are  still  standing  on  the  University  campus.  They  can  be  seen  in 
the  next  picture  of  the  University. 

From  that  time  to  the  present  the  University  has  received 
regular  appropriations  from  the  State.     In  addition  the 

University  also  re 
ceives  annually  a 
regular  income  from 
the  seminary  fund, 
which  is  its  per 
manent  endowment, 
and  it  also  receives 
an  annual  appropri 
ation  from  the  Na 
tional  Government 
for  certain  purposes. 
From  time  to  time 
the  University  has 
enlarged  the  scope 
of  its  work  until  it 
now  maintains — be 
sides  the  college  of 
arts  and  sciences,  and  the  schools  of  law,  medicine,  educa 
tion,  engineering,  and  journalism  —  a  college  of  agricultu- 


JAMES  S.  ROLLINS 
The  father  of  the  University  of  Missouri. 


ECONOMIC   AND   SOCIAL   DEVELOPMENT 


461 


ral  and  mechanical  arts,  and  a  graduate  department. 
There  is  also  a  School  of  Mines  and  Metallurgy  at  Rolla 
which,  although  nominally  a  part  of  the  State  University, 
has  recently  become  virtually  a  separate  institution.  The 
influence  of  the  University  upon  the  school  system  of 


Schools 


BIRD'S-EYE  VIEW  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  MISSOURI  IN  1907 

The  columns  of  the  original  main  building  are  seen  in  the  center  of  the 
foreground.  In  recent  years  a  new  quadrangle  has  been  built  to  the  left  of 
the  one  shown  in  this  picture.  The  new  library  building  stands  between  the 
two  quadrangles. 

Missouri  has  been  most  noticeable  in  raising  the  standard 
of  the  high  schools. 

The  State  maintains  five  normal  schools  for  the  4-  Normal 
preparation  of  teachers  for  its  public  schools.  Those 
at  Kirksville1  and  Warrensburg  were  established  in 
1870  and  1871  respectively,  that  at  Cape  Girardeau  in 
1873,  and  those  at  Springfield  and  Maryville  in  1905. 
From  these  institutions  have  come  thousands  of  stu 
dents  who  have  served  the  State  in  every  department 

1  The  school  at  Kirksville  was  founded  originally  as  a  private 
normal  school  by  Joseph  Baldwin  in  1867  and  was  adopted  as  a 
State  normal  school  in  1870. 


462 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


of  school  work,  from  teaching  in  the  humblest  rural 
schools1  to  superintendencies  of  city  systems.  Within 
the  last  ten  years  these  normal  schools  have  become 
virtually  teachers'  colleges,  their  courses  of  study  for 
the  B.  S.  degree  in  education  requiring  120  semester 
hours  or  four  full  years  of  work  beyond  the  approved 

four-year  high  school 
course. 

5.  Colleges  aft  ^^  Besides  the  Univer 

sity  of  Missouri  and 
the  normal  schools 
there  are  a  number 
of  institutions  in  the 
State  that  are  doing 
work  beyond  the  high 
school,  eleven  of 
which  constitute  the 
college  union.  This 
union  was  formed  in 
1893  and  was  com 
posed  then  of  only 
JOSEPH  BALDWIN  seven  institutions  — 

Founder    of    the    Kirksville    State    Normal      namely,    the     Univer- 
School   and   of    the    system    of    State    normal          . ,  f     -\<r' 

schools  in  Missouri.     '  SltY    °f     MlSSOUri, 

Washington  Univer 
sity,  Central  College,  Westminster  College,  William 
Jewel  College,  Drury  College,  and  Missouri  Valley 
College.  Since  then  Park  College,  Tarkio  College,  Cen 
tral  Wesleyan  College,  and  St.  Louis  University  have 
been  admitted  into  the  union.  No  institution  can  be 
come  a  member  of  this  organization  unless  it  requires  of 
its  students  four  years  of  academic  study  beyond  the 
high  school  course,  has  a  faculty  of  at  least  six  teachers 
giving  a  minimum  of  nine  hours  a  week  to  college  in- 

1  Lincoln  Institute  at  Jefferson  City  was  established  in  1866  for 
the  industrial  training  of  negroes  and  the  preparation  of  teachers 
for  negro  schools  in  the  State. 


ECONOMIC  AND   SOCIAL   DEVELOPMENT  463 

struction,  and  has  a  productive  endowment  of  at  least 
$100,000. 

There  are  also  seven  junior  colleges  in  the  State  which 
are  doing  two  years  of  college  work  under  the  supervision 
and  approval  of  the  State  University.  These  are  Chris 
tian  College,  Cottey  College,  Hardin  College,  Howard 
Payne  College,  Lindenwood  College,  Stephens  College, 
and  William  Woods  College,  all  of  which  are  seminaries 
for  women. 

Notwithstanding  the  advance  that  has  been  made  in  Needed 
the  field  of  education  in  Missouri  since  the  Civil  War,  ^^Je 
there  is  considerable  room  for  further  improvement. 
In  many  things  Missouri  is  yet  lagging  behind.  For  ex 
ample,  a  start  has  scarcely  been  made  in  the  consolida 
tion  of  the  rural  and  village  districts ;  but  with  the 
inauguration  of  the  system  of  good  roads  provided  for  by 
the  legislature  in  1917,  it  is  expected  that  consolidation 
will  become  more  popular  than  it  has  ever  been  before. 
It  is  also  hoped  that  something  can  be  done  to  raise 
Missouri  from  the  disgraceful  position  that  it  now  occupies 
of  twentieth  in  the  nation  in  point  of  literacy.  Four  and 
three  tenths  per  cent  of  its  population  cannot  read  and 
write. 

5.   PROHIBITION  MOVEMENT 

In  recent  years  there  has  been  a  notable  development  Local 
of  sentiment  throughout  the  State  in  favor  of  the  pro-  °fpf8°8n7Law 
hibition  of  the  liquor  traffic.  In  1887  the  first  steps 
toward  limiting  the  traffic  were  taken  by  the  passage  of 
a  local  option  law  which  gave  to  the  people  of  corporate 
towns  of  2500  population  or  more  and  to  the  people  of 
the  counties  outside  of  such  corporate  towns  the  right 
to  determine  for  themselves  whether  intoxicating  liquors 
should  be  sold  in  their  respective  communities  or  not. 
During  the  next  two  or  three  years  many  towns  and  com 
munities  voted  themselves  "  dry  "  under  this  law,  but  in 
a  great  many  instances  the  elections  were  declared  by  the 


464 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


courts  to  be  illegal  on  technical  grounds.      For  a  time 
interest  in  the  local  option  laws  died  down,  but  in  the 


"WET"  AND  "DRY"  MAP  OF  MISSOURI,  1917 

The  "dry"  counties  are  white;  the  "wet"  counties  are  shaded.  The 
"wet"  towns  in  "dry"  counties  arc  indicated  by  black  dots;  the  "dry" 
towns  in  "  wet  "  counties  by  white  dots. 

Of  the  114  counties  in  Missouri,  85  are  totally  "  dry,"  14  partially  so,  and 
15  are  totally  "  wet."  The  city  of  St.  Louis  is  "  wet."  There  are  39  cities 
of  over  2500  population  that  are  "dry."  There  are  16  "wet"  cities  in 
"  dry  "  counties,  and  four  "  dry  "  cities  in  "  wet  "  counties. 

The  sixteen  "  wet "  towns  in  "  dry "  counties  are  Boonville,  Brookfield, 
Carterville,  Carthage,  Excelsior  Springs,  Hannibal,  Huntsville,  Joplin,  Kansas 
City,  Louisiana,  Moberly,  Monett,  Palmyra,  Sedalia,  Springfield,  and  Webb 
City.  The  four  "  dry  "  cities  in  "  wet  "  counties  are  Higginsville,  Kirkwood, 
Sikeston,  and  Webster  Groves. 


late  nineties  it  was  revived,  and  county  after  county 
and  town  after  town  voted  itself  "dry."  In  1917 
more  than  ninety-six  counties  and  thirty-eight  towns  of 


ECONOMIC   AND   SOCIAL   DEVELOPMENT  465 

more  than  2500  population  were  "  dry."  It  is  interesting 
to  note  the  distribution  of  the  "  wet "  counties  as  shown 
by  the  accompanying  map.  With  only  two  exceptions 
all  of  them  lie  along  the  Missouri  and  the  Mississippi 
rivers.  The  German  element  is  very  large  in  most  of 
these  counties. 

The  greatest  strongholds  of  the  liquor  traffic  have  been  County 
in  the  cities.  The  rural  districts  have  very  easily  been  mt  aw 
captured  by  the  prohibition  forces.  But  many  a  county 
has  gone  "  dry  "  while  its  leading  town  or  towns  have  re 
mained  "  wet  "  and  have  thus  neutralized  in  a  very  decided 
manner  the  will  of  the  people  in  the  rural  parts  of  the 
county.  For  example,  eleven  of  the  ninety-nine  "  dry  " 
counties  contain  at  the  present  time  (1918)  sixteen  "  wet " 
towns  of  more  than  2  500  inhabitants.  A  few  years  ago  the 
number  of  "  wet  "  towns  in  "  dry  "  counties  was  still  larger 
in  proportion.  Because  of  the  ill  effects  that  have  fol 
lowed  from  having  "  wet  "  towns  in  tl  dry  "  counties,  there 
have  been  numerous  efforts  to  get  the  legislature  of  Mis 
souri  to  pass  a  county  unit  law  that  would  give  each 
county  as  a  whole  the  right  to  decide  the  liquor  question 
and  take  away  from  the  towns  of  more  than  2500  the 
right  which  they  now  have  of  acting  independently  of  the 
counties  within  which  they  lie.  The  legislature  finally 
passed  such  a  law  in  1913,  but  before  the  law  could  be  put 
into  operation,  it  was  referred  to  the  people  by  means  of 
a  referendum  petition  and  was  defeated  at  the  general 
election  in  1914  by  a  vote  of  311,000  to  172,000.  The 
large  vote  cast  against  it  was  due  partly  to  the  habit  which 
the  people  had  acquired  of  voting  against  all  constitu 
tional  amendments  and  legislative  proposals  submitted 
to  them. 

The    constitutional    amendment    prohibiting    the    sale  Constitu- 
and  manufacture  of  intoxicating  liquors  throughout  the 
State  has  been  submitted  twice  to  the  people  of  Missouri 
(1910  and  1916)  and  defeated  each  time.     In  1 9 1 o  the  vote 
stood  425,406  to  207,281,  giving  the  "  wets  "  a  majority 


466  HISTORY   OF   MISSOURI 

of  218,125.  In  1916  the  vote  stood  416,826  to  294,298, 
giving  the  "  wets  "  a  reduced  majority  of  122,528.  From 
all  indications  the  amendment  which  the  legislature  of 
1917  authorized  should  be  voted  upon  in  November, 
1918,  will  be  adopted  by  a  good  sized  majority.  In 
1916,  the  amendment  was  carried  in  the  State  outside  of 
St.  Louis  by  5003.  It  was  carried  in  that  year  in  seventy- 
four  counties,  including  Jackson  County,1  while  in  1900  it 
was  carried  in  only  twenty-nine  counties.  The  prohibi 
tion  sentiment  has  recently  grown  so  fast  in  the  State 
that  it  seems  fairly  safe  to  say  that  not  only  will  the  pro 
hibition  amendment  to  the  State  constitution  be  adopted 
by  the  people  in  1918  by  a  good  majority,  but  that  the 
legislature  will  approve  in  1919  a  similar  amendment  to 
the  National  Constitution  which  Congress  has  recently 
submitted  to  the  states  for  their  consideration. 

REFERENCES 

Statistics  on  Population,  Industries,  etc.  —  Consult  the  Blue 
Books  issued  by  the  Secretary  of  State  and  the  Red  Books  issued  by 
the  Bureau  of  Labor. 

Education  —  Phillips,  History  of  Education  in  Missouri.  A  very 
unsatisfactory  book  but  the  only  thing  that  has  been  written  on  the 
subject.  Violette,  History  of  the  First  District  Normal  School, 
Kirks ville,  Missouri.  In  the  first  chapters  an  account  is  given  of 
the  creation  of  a  system  of  State  normal  schools  in  Missouri.  Consult 
the  various  Reports  of  the  State  Superintendent  of  Schools. 

1  The  vote  in  Jackson  County  was  38,419  for,  34,473  against. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

GENERAL  WORKS 
(Starred  books  are  out  of  print.) 

Carr,  Lucien,  Missouri,  A  Bone  of  Contention,  1899,  Houghton 
Mifflin  Co.  In  the  American  Commonwealth  series.  The  only  gen 
eral  work  on  the  history  of  Missouri  above  the  rank  of  elementary 
textbooks  that  is  really  available  to  the  general  public.  It  is  con 
cerned  chiefly  with  the  political  phases  of  the  State's  history  down 
to  the  adoption  of  the  present  constitution  in  1875. 

*  Davis  and  Durrie,  History  of  Missouri,  1876,  Hall  and  Co.,  St. 
Louis.     Covers  the  entire  field  of  Missouri  history  from  earliest 
times  to  1876.     After  1820  the  treatment  is  by  governors'  adminis 
trations.     The   greater   part  of    the    book    is,    however,   given    to 
biographical  sketches  of  the  subscribers  to  the  book. 

*  Encyclopedia  of  the  History  of  Missouri,  A  Compendium  of  History 
and  Biography  for  Ready  Reference,  edited  by  Howard  L.  Conrad. 
6  vols.,   1901,  Southern   History  Company.     Contains   a   number 
of  articles  on  the  history  of  Missouri  and  on  the  resources  and  the 
activities  of  the  State,  interspersed  among  the  biographies  of  per 
sons,  most  of  whom  are  more  or  less  inconsequential.     Some  of  the 
articles  on  Missouri  history  are  very  good ;   others  are  merely  com 
pilations  from  larger  works  and  are  more  or  less  unreliable. 

*  Harvey,  C.  M.,  The  State  of  Missouri  from  Its  Territorial  Days 
to  1904,  1914.     This  is  vol.  iv  of  a  series  of   books   entitled  "The 
Province   and   the   States,"    published  in  commemoration   of   the 
one  hundredth  anniversary  of   the  purchase  of  Louisiana.      The 
volumes  are  devoted  to  the  history  of  the  various  states  that  were 
formed  out  of  the  Louisiana  territory. 

Shoemaker,  F.  C.,  Six  Periods  of  Missouri  History.  A  brief 
article  reprinted  from  the  Missouri  Historical  Review  for  July,  1915. 
A  very  keen  analysis  of  the  development  of  the  history  of  Missouri 
from  earliest  times  to  the  present. 

*Switzler,  W.  F.,  History  of  Missouri  from  1841  to  1877.  1879, 
Barnes,  St.  Louis.  For  a  long  time  the  standard  work  on  Missouri 
history.  Written  by  a  distinguished  citizen  of  the  State,  who  for 
many  years  was  very  prominent  in  its  public  affairs.  Especially 
valuable  for  the  contemporaneous  accounts  that  it  contains. 

*  Williams,   Walter,    The  State  of   Missouri,  An  Autobiography. 

467 


468  HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 

Published  by  the  Missouri  Commission  to  the  Louisiana  Purchase 
Exposition,  1904.  A  compilation  of  sketches  by  competent  writers 
on  the  history,  government,  and  activities  of  the  State.  Though 
written  as  a  kind  of  advertisement  for  the  State,  it  contains  much 
valuable  information. 

SPECIAL  WORKS 

[Only  those  titles  that  have  been  mentioned  in  the  reference  notes  at  the 
close  of  the  different  chapters  in  this  book  are  included  in  this  bibliographical 
list.  All  of  them  are  available  to  the  general  public.  Each  book  has  been 
commented  upon  in  some  one  of  the  reference  lists.  The  number  of  the 
chapter  in  parenthesis  after  each  title  indicates  where  the  comment  on  that 
particular  book  may  be  found.] 

Anderson,  Galusha,  A  Border  City  in  the  Civil  War.  1908.  Little, 
Brown  and  Co.  (Ch.  xv) 

Alvord,  C.  W.,  The  County  of  Illinois,  in  the  Illinois  Historical 
Society  Collections,  vol.  ii.  (Ch.  i) 

Burgess,  John  W.,  The  Middle  Period,  1817—58.  American  His 
tory  Series.  1901.  Scribners.  (Ch.  xiv) 

Byars,  W.  V.,  An  American  Commoner,  The  Life  and  Times  of 
Richard  Parks  Bland.  E.  W.  Stephens,  Columbia,  Mo.  (Ch.  xxi) 

Chittenden,  H.  M.,  The  American  Fur  Trade  of  the  Far  West. 
3  vols.  1902.  Francis  P.  Harper.  (Ch.  ix) 

Chittenden,  H.  M.,  History  of  Early  Steamboat  Navigation  on  the 
Missouri  River.  2  vols.  1903.  Francis  P.  Harper. 

Connelley,  W.  E.,  Doniphan's  Expedition.  1907.  Bryant  and 
Douglas,  Kansas  City.  (Ch.  viii) 

Coues,  Elliott,  Forty  Years  a  Fur  Trader  on  the  Upper  Missouri. 
2  vols.  1898.  Francis  P.  Harper.  (Ch.  ix) 

Dale,  H.  C.,  The  Ashley-Smith  Explorations  and  Discovery  of  a 
Central  Route  to  the  Pacific,  1 822-29.  Arthur  H.  Clark  Co.  (Ch.  ix) 

Evans,  John  H.,  One  Hundred  Years  of  Mormonism.  1909.  Dcseret 
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Fiske,  John,  Mississippi  Valley  in  the  Civil  War.  1900.  Hough- 
ton  Mifflin  Co.  (Ch.  xvi) 

Hosmcr,  J.  K.,  Short  History  of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  1901. 
Houghton  Mifflin  Co.  (Ch.  i) 

Houck,  Louis,  History  of  Missouri  from  Earliest  Explorations  and 
Settlements  until  the  Admission  of  the  State  into  the  Union.  3  vols. 
1908.  Donnelley  and  Sons,  Chicago.  (Ch.  i) 

Houck,  Louis,  Spanish  Regime.  2  vols.  1910.  Donnelley  and 
Sons.  (Chvi) 

Hughes,  John  T.,  Doniphan's  Expedition.  1914.  Government 
Printing  Office.  Washington.  (Ch.  viii) 


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Jenkins,  Paul,  The  Battle  of  Westport.  1906.  Franklin  Hudson 
Publishing  Co.  Kansas  City.  (Ch.  xviii) 

Jenkins,  T.  H.,  Old  Bethel  Church.  The  Press,  Marble  Hill,  Mo. 
(Ch.  v) 

Kirkpatrick,  John  E.,  Timothy  Flint,  1780-1840.  1911.  Arthur 
H.  Clark  Co.  (Ch.  v) 

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Publishing  Co.,  Kansas  City.  (Ch.  v) 

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Columbia,  Mo.  (Ch.  v) 

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Saints,  Lamoni,  la. 


APPENDIX 


The  following  tables  of  Governors  of  Missouri  and  of  United  States  Senators  from 
Missouri  have  been  adapted  from  The  Official  Manual  of  the  State  of  Missouri  for  1913-14, 
Cornelius  Roach,  Secretary  of  State. 

GOVERNORS  or  MISSOURI —  1820  TO  1918 


NAME 

COUNTY 

ELECTED 

REMARKS 

Alexander  McNair  
Frederick  Bates 

St.  Louis  
St  Louis 

August,  1820.  .  .  . 
August  1824 

Died  March  18,  1826. 
Died  August  4   1825 

Abraham  J  Williams 

Boone 

Pres.  Senate 

Vice  Bates  •  died  in  Columbia, 

John  Miller  
John  Miller  

Daniel  Dunklin  
Lilburn  W.  Boggs  

Thomas  Reynolds 

Cooper  
Cooper  

Washington  
Jackson  

Howard 

Dec.  8,  1825.  .  .  . 
August,  1828.  ..  . 

August,  1832.  ..  . 
August,  1836.  .  .  . 

August  1840 

December  30,  1839. 
Special  election  to  fill  vacancy. 
Died  at  Florisant,  March   18, 
1846. 
Died  August  25,  1844. 
Died    at    Napa    Valley,    Cal., 
March  14,  1860. 
February  9,  1844*    committed 

M.  M.  Marmaduke  
John  C.  Edwards  

Austin  A.  King  

Saline  
Cole  

Ray  

Lieut.  -Gov  

August,  1844.  .  .  . 

August,  1848.  .  .  . 

suicide  at  the  mansion. 
Died  March  26,  1864. 
Died   in   Stockton,    Cal.,    Sep 
tember  14,  1888. 
Died  April  22,  1870. 

Sterling  Price  

Chariton  

August,  1852.  ..  . 

Died  in  St.  Louis,  September  29, 

Trusten  Polk 

St  Louis 

August,  1856 

1867. 
Elected  U.  S.  Senator  February, 

Hancock  Jackson  
Robert  M.  Stewart  
Claiborne  F.  Jackson 

Randolph  
Buchanan  
Saline 

Lieut.-Gov  

August,  1857.  .  .  . 
August,  1860 

1857;  died  April  16,  1876. 
Died    in    Salem,  Ore.,    March 
19,  1876. 
To  fill  vacancy  ;    died  Septem 
ber  21,  1871. 
Died  in  Ark.,  December,  1862. 

Hamilton  R.  Gamble.  .  .  . 
Willard  P.  Hall  
Thomas  C.  Fletcher 

St.  Louis  
Buchanan  
St  Louis 

Appointed  
Lieut.-Gov  
November  1864 

By  convention,  July  31,  1861  ; 
died  January  31,  1864. 
Vice,  Gamble  ;  died  November 

2,    1882. 

Died    in    Washington,    D.    C., 

Joseph  W.  McClurg  
B  Gratz  Brown 

Camden  
St  Louis 

November,  1868. 
November  1870 

March  25,  1899. 
Died    in   Lebanon,    December 
2,  1900. 
Died  at  Kirkwood    Decembfr 

Silas  Woodson  
Charles  H.  Hardin  

Buchanan  
Audrain  

November,  1872. 
November,  1874. 

^3,  1885. 
Died  November  9,  1896. 
Died  July  29,  1892. 

471 


472 


HISTORY  OF  MISSOURI 


NAME 

COUNTY 

ELECTED 

REMARKS 

John  S.  Phelps  
Thos.  T.  Crittenden  .... 

John  S.  Marmaduke.  .  .  . 
Albert  P.  Morehouse  .  . 

Greene  
Johnson  

St.  Louis  City.  . 
Nodaway 

November,  1876. 
November,  1880. 

November,  1884. 
Lieut  -Gov. 

Died  November  20,  1886. 
Died  May  29,  1909,  in  Kansas 
City. 
Died  December  28,  1887. 
Suicide,  September  30,  1891. 

David  R.  Francis  
Wm.  J.  Stone  

Lon  V.  Stephens  
Alexander  M.  Dockery.  . 
Joseph  W.  Folk 

St.  Louis  City.  . 
Vernon  

Cooper  
Daviess  
St  Louis 

November,  1888. 
November,  1892  . 

November,  1896. 
November,  1900. 
November  1904 

Now  Ambassador  to  Russia. 
Elected    to    U.    S.    Senate   in 
1903;   died  April  14,  1918. 
Now  in  St.  Louis. 
Now  Third  Asst.  P.  M.  General. 
Now  in  St  Louis. 

Herbert  S.  Hadley 

Jackson 

November  1908 

Now  in  Kansas  City. 

Elliott  W.  Major  
Frederick  D.  Gardner  .  . 

Pike  
St.  Louis  City.  . 

November,  1912. 
November,  1916. 

Now  in  St.  Louis. 

UNITED  STATES  SENATORS  FROM  MISSOURI 
From  1820  to  igiS 


WHEN 
ELECTED 

NAME 

POLITICS 

RESIDENCE 

1820  
1820  
1824  
1826  
1830  
1832 

(t)     David  Barton  
(2)     Thos.  H.  Benton  
David  Barton  
Thomas  H.  Benton  
Alexander  Buckner  
Thos  H   Benton 

Democrat  

Howard. 
St.  Louis. 
Howard. 
St.  Louis. 
Cape  Girardeau. 
St   Louis 

1834 

(3)     Lewis  F   Linn 

« 

Ste    Genevieve. 

1836  
1838  
1842  
1843  
1844  
1844  

Lewis  F.  Linn  
Thos.  II.  Benton  
(4)     Lewis  F.  Linn  
David  R.  Atchison  
David  R.  Atchison  
Thos.  H.  Benton  

(l 

Ste.  Genevieve. 
St.  Louis. 
Cape  Girardeau. 
Platte. 
Platte. 
St.  Louis. 

1849 

David  R    Atchison 

a 

Platte 

1851  
1857  
1857  
1861  
1862  
1862  
1863  

Henry  S.  Geyer  
James  S.  Green  
(5)     Trusten  Polk  
(6)     Waldo  P.  Johnson  
(7)     Robert  Wilson  
(8)     John  B.  Henderson  
(9)     B.  Gratz  Brown  

Whig  
Democrat  

Conservative  
Republican  

St.  Louis. 
Lewis. 
St.  Louis. 
St.  Clair. 
Andrew. 
Pike. 
St.  Louis. 

1867 

(10)     Charles  D.  Drake 

« 

St.  Louis. 

1869  
1870  

Carl  Schurz  
(n)     Daniel  F.  Jewett  

« 

St.  Louis. 
St.  Louis. 

APPENDIX 


473 


WHEN 
ELECTED 

NAME 

POLITICS 

RESIDENCE 

1871  
1873  
1875  
1877 

(12)     Francis  P.  Blair  
(13)     Lewis  V.  Bogy  
Francis  M.  Cockrell  
(14)     David  H.  Armstrong  

Democrat  

St.  Louis. 
St.  Louis. 
Johnson. 
St.  Louis. 

1879.  .  .  . 

(15)     James  Shields  

« 

Carroll. 

1879 

Geo   G  Vest 

a 

Pettis 

1881 

Francis  M   Cockrcll 

« 

Johnson 

1885 

Gco   G   Vest 

it 

Jackson 

1887 

Francis  M.  Cockrcll 

it 

Johnson 

1891 

Geo.  G.  Vest               .    .    . 

a 

Jackson. 

1893  
1897  
1899  
1903  
1905 

Francis  M.  Cockrell  
Geo.  G.  Vest  
Francis  M.  Cockrell  
William  Joel  Stone  
William  Warner 

Republican 

Johnson. 
Jackson. 
Johnson. 
Jefferson  City. 
Kansas  City 

1909 

William  Joel  Stone 

Democrat 

Jefferson  City 

1911 

James  A.  Reed 

Kansas  City 

IQI4  
1916   . 

(i  6)     William  Joel  Stone  
(17)     James  A.  Reed        ...    . 

l( 

Jefferson  City. 
Kansas  City. 

(1)  Admitted  to  scat  December,  1821. 

(2)  Admitted  to  seat  December,  1821. 

(3)  Appointed  to  succeed  Alexander  Buckner,  who  died  of  cholera  in  1833. 

(4)  Died  October  3,  1843,  and  was   succeeded  by  David  R.  Atchison,  who  served  until 
1855- 

(5)  Expelled  from  the  Senate  on  charges  of  disloyalty,  January  10,  1862. 

(6)  Charged  with  disloyalty  and  expelled  from  the  Senate  January  10,  1862. 

(7)  Appointed  by  Provisional  Governor  Hall  in  the  absence  of  Governor  Gamble. 

(8)  Appointed  by  Provisional  Governor  Hall  in  the  absence  of  Governor  Gamble. 

(9)  Elected  for  term  ending  March  4,  1867. 

(10)  Resigned  in  1871  to  become  a  judge  of  the  U.  S.  Court  of  Claims  at  Washington,  D.  C. 
(n)  Appointed  to  succeed  Charles  D.  Drake  until  meeting  of  Legislature. 

(12)  Elected  to  serve  remainder  of  term  of  Charles  D.  Drake. 

(13)  Died  September  20,  1877. 

(14)  Appointed  September  27,  1877,  to  succeed  Lewis  V.  Bogy  until  meeting  of  Legislature. 

(15)  Elected  January  21,  1879,  to  serve  remainder  of  term  of  Lewis  V.  Bogy,  March  4,  1879. 

(16)  Died  April  14,  1918. 

(17)  Term  expires  March  4,  1923. 


INDEX 


Abolitionists,  opposed  by  Benton,  278 ; 
laws  against,  296-297 ;  Arthur 
Tappan  incident,  299  ;  not  interested 
in  colonization  of  negroes,  300 

Academies,  private,  prior  to  Civil 
War,  453 

Acreage  of  farms,  446,  ft.  n.  i 

Act  of  Congress,  1803,  providing  for 
the  government  of  Louisiana  Terri 
tory,  100;  1804,  District  of  Louisi 
ana,  loo-ioi ;  1805,  Territory  of 
Louisiana,  101-102;  1812,  Territory 
of  Missouri,  102-103;  1816,  for  the 
same,  103;  1812,  for  schools  in 
Missouri,  85;  1912,  for  steamboat 
navigation  on  the  Missouri,  186; 
1842,  for  Congressional  districts  in 
the  states,  264;  1846,  authorizing 
the  President  to  call  for  troops  for 
the  Mexican  War,  153 

Adam-ondi-Ahman,  Mormon  settle 
ment  at,  222 

"Adam's  Grave,"  near  Gallatin,  222, 
ft.  n.  i 

Adjutant  General,  office  of,  123. 

Admission  of  Missouri  into  the  Union, 
terms  of,  134 ;  proclamation  of 
President  Monroe,  138 

Agricultural  implements  of  early 
French  settlers,  58-59 

Agriculture  in  Missouri,  during  the 
Spanish  period,  57-61 ;  just  prior 
to  the  Civil  War,  289;  in  recent 
years,  445~446. 

Alabama,  influence  of,  on  the  constitu 
tion  of  Missouri,  126 

Allen,  Captain,  organizes  Mormon 
company  for  Mexican  War,  158,  ft. 
n.  i 

Allen,  Judge  C.  H.,  candidate  for 
governor,  265 

Alliance  between  Spain  and  France 
against  England  in  1779,  23 

Amendments  to  the  State  constitu 
tion,  attempts  to  pass,  in  1820,  131 ; 
relating  to  banks,  148;  defeat  of, 


conferring  suffrage  upon  negroes, 
418-419;  defeat  of,  prohibiting  sale 
and  manufacture  of  liquor,  465- 
466;  authorizing  certificates  of  in 
debtedness,  452 

Amendments  to  the  National  Consti 
tution,  granting  slaves  freedom,  405  ; 
granting  negroes  suffrage,  419; 
proposing  prohibition,  465 

"American  Bottom,"  3,  ft.  n.  2,  36-37 

American  Fur  Company,  178-179 

American  Knights  of  the  State  of 
Missouri,  390 

American  settlements,  early  in  St. 
Charles  District,  42 ;  in  St.  Louis 
District,  43 ;  in  Ste.  Genevieve 
District,  44-45 ;  in  Cape  Girardeau 
District,  48 ;  in  New  Madrid  Dis 
trict,  51;  in  Missouri  in  1804,  51 

Anderson,  Bill,  killed  during  Price's 
Raid,  388,  ft.  n.  i 

Andrew  County,  resolution  of  citizens 
of,  concerning  Nebraska,  305 

"  Appeal "  and  addresses  of  Benton, 
274-276,  279 

Apprentices,  free  negroes  as,  301 

Area  of  Missouri,  81,  ft.  n.  i 

Argus,  The,  newspaper  at  Platte  City, 
310 

Arkansas,  part  of  New  Madrid  County 
prior  to  1813,  78;  admitted  into 
the  Union,  168,  ft.  n.  i 

Arkansas  County,  divided  into  three 
counties,  79,  ft.  n.  2 

Arkansas  Territory,  creation  of,  80,  104 

Army  of  Zion,  march  into  Clay  County, 
215,  ft.  n.  i 

Arpent,  58 

Arrow  Rock,  tavern  at,  199 

Arsenal,  Federal,  at  Liberty,  336; 
at  St.  Louis,  336 

Ashley,  William,  first  lieutenant 
governor,  127-128;  connection  with 
the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Com 
pany,  176;  in  politics,  177;  dis 
covers  South  Pass,  198 


475 


476 


INDEX 


Assemblies  of  negroes,  laws  regulating, 
295 

Astor,  John  Jacob,  connection  with 
American  Fur  Company,  178 

Astoria,  178,  198 

Atchison,  David  R.,  counsel  for  the 
Mormons,  213;  elected  to  the  U.  S. 
Senate  in  1844,  268;  replies  to  Ben- 
ton's  "Appeal,"  276;  candidate  for 
reelection  to  the  Senate,  284,  305, 
ft.  n.  i ;  on  the  Nebraska  question, 
306;  leader  of  the  invasions  of 
Kansas,  314;  draws  up  manifestoes 
against  John  Brown,  318 

Atchison,  Kansas,  founding  of,  309 

Atlanta,  railroad  connection  estab 
lished  with  St.  Louis,  247 

Auditor,  office  of,  123 

Austin,  Moses,  journal  of,  8,  ft.  n.  i ; 
moves  to  Missouri,  45-46 

Baldwin,  Joseph,  founder  of  the  sys 
tem  of  State  normal  schools  in  Mis 
souri,  461.  ft.  n.  i 

Bank  notes,  219,  261—262.  See  also 
Paper  Money  and  Currency 

Bank  of  Missouri,  founded  in  1817, 
142  ;  end  of,  142 

Bank  of  Mormons  at  Kirtland,  219 

Bank  of  St.  Louis,  founded  in  1813, 
142,  145,  ft.  n.  i ;  end  of,  142 ;  new, 
founded  in  1857,  148 

Bank  of  the  State  of  Missouri,  founded 
in  1837,  143-145 ;  management  of, 
145 ;  effects  of  panic  of  1837  upon, 
146;  end  of,  149-150;  investment 
of  State  school  funds  in  stock  of, 
450 

Banks  and  Banking  in  Missouri,  140- 
150,  261-262 

Baptists,  in  Missouri  during  territorial 
period,  85-87  ;  in  St.  Louis  by  1816, 
88;  Mt.  Pleasant  Association,  112 

Barter  in  early  days  in  Missouri, 
140-141,  170 

Barton  County,  invaded  by  "Jay- 
hawkers,"  319 

Barton,  David,  president  of  the  con 
stitutional  convention  of  1820,  118; 
part  in  making  the  first  constitution, 
124-126;  elected  to  U.  S.  Senate, 
128;  share  in  election  of  Benton  to 
the  Senate,  129-130;  not  allowed 
to  take  his  seat  in  the  Senate  in  1820, 
133;  defeated  in  1830,  139;  later 


career,  260,  ft.  n.  i ;  shares  in  the 
plan  for  emancipating  slaves,  299 

Bates  County,  invaded  by  "Jay- 
hawkers,"  319;  "Order  Number 
Eleven,"  382  ;  "Burnt  District,"  384 

Bates,  Edward,  member  of  the  con 
stitutional  convention  of  1820,  118, 
124-126;  defeated  for  Congress  in 
1828,  260 

Bates,  Frederick,  elected  governor  in 
1824,  258 

Bates,  Judge,  resigns  from  the  supreme 
court,  413 

Battle  of  New  Orleans,  72-73,  104,  ft. 
n.  2  ;  Brazito,  161 ;  Sacramento,  162; 
Hawn's  Mill,  223;  Crooked  River, 
223;  Carthage,  358-359;  Lexing 
ton,  365-367;  Pea  Ridge,  371-372; 
Belmont,  373;  Kirksville,  377;  In 
dependence,  378;  Lone  Jack,  378; 
Helena,  386;  Pilot  Knob,  386-387; 
Westport,  387-390 

Battles  in  Missouri  during  the  Civil 
War,  391-392 

Bay,  Judge,  removed  from  the  Supreme 
Court,  413 

Beattie,  Armstrong,  founder  of  the 
first  bank  at  St.  Joseph,  149 

Becknell,  William,  founder  of  the 
Santa  F6  Trail,  187 ;  expedition  of, 
190-191 ;  profits  of,  in  the  Santa 
F6  trade,  197 

Bell,  John,  candidate  for  the  Presi 
dency  in  1860,  323;  vote  for,  in 
Missouri,  325 

Bell,  Major,  in  command  of  the  St. 
Louis  Arsenal,  337 

Belmont,  battle  of,  373 

Bent,  Charles,  governor  of  New  Mexico, 
157;  murder  of,  164-165;  Santa 
Fe  trader,  195 

Benton,  Thomas  Hart,  early  life,  250- 
251;  service  in  the  War  of  1812, 
251;  quarrel  with  Jackson,  251- 
252;  early  career  in  St.  Louis,  252- 
254;  editor  of  the  Enquirer,  254- 
2555  opposes  the  Treaty  of  1819, 
255,  266,  ft.  n.  i ;  elected  to  the 
U.  S.  Senate,  1820,  128-130,  256- 
257;  not  allowed  to  take  his  seat  in 
1820,  133 ;  supports  Jackson  for 
President,  259;  leadership  in  the 
formation  of  the  Jackson  Demo 
cratic  party,  259-261 ;  opposes  Bar 
ton's  reelection,  260;  promotes  a 


INDEX 


477 


transcontinental  railroad,  235 ;  ad 
dresses  Doniphan's  troops  at  St. 
Louis,  164;  favors  "hard"  money, 
262 ;  espouses  the  unpopular  side 
on  certain  State  issues,  263-265 ; 
opposes  the  annexation  of  Texas, 
266-268;  introduces  a  Texas  bill, 
266,  ft.  n.  2;  reflected  in  1844, 
268;  attitude  toward  the  Mexican 
War,  269;  aspires  to  become  Lieu 
tenant  General,  269;  attitude  to 
ward  the  Compromise  of  1850,  270- 
271;  "Jackson  Resolutions,"  271- 
274;  "Appeal"  and  addresses,  274- 
276;  defeated  in  1851,  277-278; 
causes  of  his  overthrow,  278-280; 
slaveholder,  278;  opposed  to  Abo 
litionists,  278;  attitude  toward 
slavery,  276-279;  fearlessness,  280; 
fine  physique,  280;  wide  knowledge, 
280;  political  integrity,  281 ;  be 
lief  in  the  West,  281 ;  vanity  and 
haughtiness,  281-282;  lack  of  po 
litical  tact,  282 ;  loss  of  influence  in 
the  Senate,  282-283 ;  in  the  House, 
283 ;  attempt  to  reenter  the  Senate, 
283,  305,  ft.  n.  i ;  race  for  gover 
norship,  284-285;  literary  efforts, 
285  ;  death,  285  ;  shares  in  the  plan 
for  emancipating  slaves,  299;  re 
lations  with  Blair,  330,  ft.  n.  i 

Benton  County,  volunteers  from,  for 
the  Mexican  War,  158 

Bent's  Fort,  157 

Bethel  Baptist  Church,  87 

Big  Blue,  Mormon  settlement  on,  213- 
214 

Bingham,  Colonel,  picture  of  "Order 
Number  Eleven,"  385,  ft.  n.  i 

Black,  Adam,  justice  of  the  peace  in 
Daviess  County,  221 

Blackfeet  Indians,  oppose  fur  traders, 
173 

Blair,  Frank  P.,  relations  with  Benton, 
282;  leader  of  the  "unconditional 
Union  men,"  330;  sketch  of,  330, 
ft.  n.  i ;  relations  with  Lyon,  339- 
340;  offended  by  Price-IIarney 
Agreement,  351;  at  the  Lyon- Jack 
son  interview,  352-354;  displeased 
over  the  appointment  of  McClellan, 
360;  disappointment  over  Fremont, 
361;  Blair  vs.  Ridgely  case,  415,  ft. 
n.  i ;  leader  of  the  Conservative 
Unionists,  417;  candidate  for  the 


Vice-presidency,  418,  ft.  n.  i ;  elected 
to  the  Senate,  422,  ft.  n.  i 

Blanchette,  founder  of  St.  Charles,  39 

Bland,  R.  P.,  introduces  the  Bland 
Silver  bill,  437-439;  free  silver 
program  for  Missouri,  440-441 ; 
defeated  for  the  nomination  for  the 
Presidency,  441 

Blue  Lodges,  312 

Board  of  internal  improvements,  cre 
ated  in  1848,  231 

Board  of  public  works,  created  in 
1855,  239 

Boatmen's  Bank,  147-148 

Boats,  59-60,  95-96,  181-186 

Bogart,  Captain,  defeated  by  the 
Mormons,  223 

Boggs,  Governor,  relations  with  the 
Mormons,  223;  attitude  toward  the 
construction  of  railroads,  230 

Bogy,  Louis,  leader  of  the  Democratic 
party,  417 

Bonded  indebtedness,  limitations  upon, 
435 

Bonds,  capitol,  448;  Civil  War,  448; 
railroad,  granted  by  the  legislature, 
235-240,  448;  sale  of  the  railroads, 
243-245;  granted  by  counties  and 
municipalities,  245-246,  433-434 

Book  of  Mormon,  204-205 

Boone  County,  created,  79 ;  volun 
teers  from,  for  the  Mexican  War, 
158;  represented  in  the  first  rail 
road  convention  in  Missouri,  230; 
banner  Whig  county  in  the  State, 
261 ;  representation  in  the  legis 
lature,  263 ;  complaints  from,  re 
garding  registration,  416 

Boone,  Daniel,  early  life,  62 ;  in  Ken 
tucky,  62  ;  captured  by  the  Indians, 
47,  ft.  n.  i ;  in  Missouri,  42,  ft.  n. 
i,  63-64,  68;  death,  64 

Boone,  Nathan,  64 

Boone's  Lick  country,  first  settlements 
in,  67-68 ;  condition  during  the 
War  of  1812,  69;  immigration  into, 
in  1815-20,  75;  jealousy  of  other 
parts  of  the  State  for,  108 ;  Santa 
F6  trade,  199;  stronghold  of  the 
Whig  party,  261 

Boone's  Lick  Road,  75,  ft.  n.  i,  202 

Boonville,  rise  of,  75 ;  battle  of,  356- 
358 

Boot  and  shoe  industry,  446 

Border    troubles,    prior    to    the    Civil 


478 


INDEX 


War,  304-321 ;  during  the  Civil 
War,  381-385 

Boundaries,  between  Upper  and  Lower 
Louisiana,  52  ;  of  the  five  districts  of 
Spanish  Louisiana,  39,  42,  44,  46- 
48;  of  Missouri,  during  the  territo 
rial  period,  104;  as  suggested  in  the 
petitions  for  statehood,  105-108; 
of  Missouri  as  a  State,  109-110; 
Osage  boundary  line,  105,  ft.  n.  i 

Brazito,  battle  of,  161 

Breckinridge,  nominated  for  President, 
323;  vote  for,  in  Missouri,  325 

Brown,  B.  Gratz,  elected  governor,  421 ; 
sketch  of,  421,  ft.  n.  i;  candidate 
for  President,  426;  nominated  for 
Vice  President,  426 

Brown,  John,  in  Kansas,  316-318;  in 
Missouri,  320 

Bryan,  W.  J.,  nominated  for  President, 
441;  vote  for,  in  Missouri,  441,  f£. 
n.  i 

Buchanan  County,  value  of  land  in,  446 

Buel,  James  T.,  in  command  of  Federal 
troops  at  Independence,  378 

Bull  boats,  182 

Burlington  Railroad.  See  Hannibal 
and  St.  Joseph  Railroad 

Burns,  James  M.,  connection  with  the 
Kansas  invasions,  315 

"Burnt  District,"  384 

Butler,  sack  of,  381 

Cabildo,  at  New  Orleans,  52 
Cahokia,   location,  3 ;  founding  of,   5 ; 

fort,    7 ;     George   Rogers   Clark   at, 

22-23,    29-30;     attempt  of   Indians 

to  capture,  27-28;    slaves  at,  286 
Cairo    and    Fulton    Railroad,    grants 

from  the  legislature  to,  236,  239,  ft. 

n.   i,   240,   ft.  n.   i ;    failure  to  pay 

interest,  241 ;    sale  of,  244 
Caldwell     County,    creation    of,    217; 

settlement  of  Mormons  in,  217-218; 

representation  of,  in  the  legislature, 

263 
Calhoun,  J.  C.,  relations  with  Benton, 

275;     control    of    the    Democratic 

party,  282-283 
Calhoun  Resolutions,  275 
California,  ceded  to  the  United  States, 

166,    269;    relations  with  Missouri, 

168;    discovery  of  gold  in,  201,  204; 

admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  free 

state,  270 


Callaway  County,  created,  79  ;  volun 
teers  from,  for  the  Mexican  War, 
154;  represented  in  the  first  rail 
road  convention,  230 

Camp  Jackson,  established  by  Gover 
nor  Jackson,  338;  captured,  339~345 ', 
clash  between  the  Federal  troops 
and  the  citizens,  344-345 ;  signifi 
cance  of  the  capture  of,  348-352 

Canada,  emigration  from,  to  Illinois,  6 

Canals,  none  in  Missouri,  229;  Illi 
nois  and  Michigan  Canal,  233 

Canoes,  181-182 

Cape  Girardeau,  early  history,  47-48; 
population  in  1799,  52,  ft.  n.  2; 
establishment  of  post  office  at,  94; 
normal  school  at,  461 

Cape  Girardeau  County,  formed  in 
1812,  77;  resolutions  from,  on  the 
Missouri  bill,  112 

Cape  Girardeau  District,  1763-1803, 
46-48 ;  part  of  New  Madrid  District, 
48,  ft.  n.  i;  population  in  1804,  52, 
ft.  n.  i ;  Baptists  in,  86 ;  German 
Reformed  Church  in,  87 ;  slaves  in, 
286 

Capital,  lack  of,  in  early  Missouri,  229 

Capital,  State,  grant  of  land  from 
Congress  for,  120;  temporary  capi 
tal  at  St.  Charles,  131-132;  perma 
nent  capital  at  Jefferson  City,  131, 
ft.  n.  i 

Capitol,  State,  at  St.  Charles,  131- 
132;  at  Jefferson  City,  133,  135; 
bonds  for  rebuilding,  449-450 

Caravans,  Santa  F6,  192-194 

Carolinas,  emigration  from  the,  to  Mis 
souri,  24,  288 

Carondelet,  founded,  18,  ft.  n.  i ;  early 
history  of,  42-43;  population  in 
I79Q,  52,  ft.  n.  2;  incorporated  in 
St.  Louis,  432,  ft.  n.  i 

Carondelet,  Governor,  grants  to  Lori- 
mier,  48 

Carroll  County,  volunteers  from,  for  the 
Mexican  War,  158;  Mormons  in,  220 

Carthage,  battle  of,  358-359 

Caruthersville,  early  history  of,  51; 
effects  of  earthquake  on,  76 

Cass  County,  invaded  by  "Jay- 
hawkers,"  319;  "Order  Number 
Eleven,"  382  ;  "Burnt  District,"  384 

Cathedral  of  St.  Louis,  91-92 

Catholic  Church,  in  early  Illinois 
French  settlements,  6;  first  in  St. 


INDEX 


479 


Louis,  17;  Spanish  restrictions 
favoring,  in  Louisiana,  37-38,  85 ; 
during  the  Spanish  period,  60-6 1 ; 
during  the  territorial  period,  89-92 

Centennial  celebrations,  in  Howard 
County,  79 ;  in  the  Methodist 
churches,  88,  ft.  n.  i ;  over  the 
arrival  of  Bishop  DuBourg  in  St. 
Louis,  QI,  ft.  n.  i ;  by  the  St.  Louis 
Republic,  92,  ft.  n.  2 

Central  College,  455,  462 

Centralia  massacre,  385,  ft.  n.  2 

Central  Wesleyan  College,  462 

Certificates  of  indebtedness,  450-452 

Cessions  of  Indian  lands  in  Missouri, 
70-72 

"Charcoals,"  401,  ft.  n.  i 

Chariton,  founded,  76;  steamboats 
to,  95 

Chariton  County,  created,  79 ;  vol 
unteers  from,  for  the  Mexican  War, 
158 

Charless,  Joseph,  founder  of  the  Mis 
souri  Gazette,  92 

Charleston,  railroad  connections  es 
tablished  with  St.  Louis,  247 

Chicago,  growth  of,  233  ;  railroad  con 
nection  established  with  St.  Louis, 
247 ;  commercial  development  of, 
447 

Chihuahua,  captured  by  Doniphan, 
162 

Chouteau,  Auguste,  begins  St.  Louis,  15 

Chouteau,  Madame,  wife  of  Laclede,  14 

Chouteau,  Pierre,  180 

Christian  College,  463 

Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day 
Saints,  206-224.  See  also  Joseph 
Smith  and  the  Mormons 

Churches.  See  Catholics,  Protestants, 
and  the  different  denominations 

Cincinnati  Commercial  Agency  in  St. 
Louis,  144-146 

Cincinnati,  steamboat  connection  es 
tablished  with  St.  Louis,  143;  rail 
road  connections,  246 

Civil  War,  effects  of,  on  the  railroads 
of  Missouri,  240-246;  elections  in 
Missouri  in  1860,  323-325;  attitude 
of  the  legislature  toward  secession, 
325-327 ;  provision  for  a  State 
convention,  327-328;  elections  for 
the  convention,  329-331;  decision 
of  the  convention  to  remain  in  the 
Union,  331-333;  Governor  Jackson 


refuses  to  comply  with  Lincoln's 
call,  335 ;  plans  of  Jackson  to  cap 
ture  the  Federal  arsenals,  336-339; 
capture  of  Camp  Jackson,  339-350; 
Price-Harney  agreement,  351-352; 
interview  of  Jackson  and  Lyon, 
352~354J  mobilization  of  troops, 
354;  Jackson's  call  for  volunteers, 
355 ;  movement  of  Lyon  up  the 
Missouri,  355 ;  battle  of  Boonville, 
356-358;  concentration  of  State 
guards  in  the  Southwest,  358-360; 
Lyon's  campaign  around  Spring 
field,  360-363 ;  Wilson's  Creek, 
363-365;  Lexington,  365-368;  dec 
laration  of  secession  by  the  legis 
lature,  369-370;  Pea  Ridge  cam 
paign,  370-373;  battle  of  Belmont, 
373  ;  Price  enters  the  Confederate 
service,  374-376;  Missouri  Brigades 
in  the  Confederate  service,  375-376; 
engagements  between  the  Federals 
and  the  Confederate  recruiting  parties 
in  Missouri,  376-378;  discontent 
in  Missouri,  378-381 ;  renewal  of 
border  warfare,  381-385;  "Order 
Number  Eleven,"  382-385;  Price's 
Raid  in  1864,  385-390;  number  of 
engagements  and  of  men  engaged, 
391-392;  establishment  of  the  pro 
visional  government,  367,  393-395 ; 
problems  of  the  provisional  govern 
ment,  395-401 ;  Lincoln  and  the 
Radicals  of  Missouri,  401-405; 
ordinance  for  immediate  emancipa 
tion,  405-406;  effects  on  education, 
455 

Clark,  General  J.  B.,  ordered  to  raise 
a  force  against  the  Mormons,  223; 
in  command  at  Boonville,  356 

Clark,  George  Rogers,  expedition  of, 
22-23;  sends  a  force  Against  the 
Indians  after  the  attack  upon  St. 
Louis,  29-30;  relation  with  De 
Leyba,  3 1 ;  soldiers  of,  foraging  in 
Illinois,  35 

Clark,  William,  territorial  governor, 
127 

"Claybanks,"  401,  ft.  n.  i 

Clay  County,  volunteers  from,  for  the 
Mexican  War,  154;  Mormons  mi 
grate  to,  215;  Mormon  troubles  in, 
216-217 

Clay,  Henry,  Compromise  of  1820,  134, 
270-271;  candidate  for  President, 


480 


INDEX 


258;  nominated  for  the  Presidency 
by  the  legislature  of  Missouri,  259 

Clergymen,  ineligible  for  the  legislature 
under  the  constitution  of  1820,  122. 
See  also  Pioneer  preachers 

Cleveland,  railroad  connection  with  St. 
Louis  established,  247 

Cockrell,  F.  M.,  U.  S.  Senator  from 
Missouri,  250,  ft.  n.  i 

Cockrell,  Vard,  at  Lone  Jack,  378 

Codes,  slave,  292 ;    free  negro,  301 

Coinage  laws,  437~439 

Coins,  in  early  days  of  Missouri,  141- 
142,  144;  in  Santa  Fe  trade,  197; 
from  Mexico,  266-267 

Cole  County,  fort  in,  70;  creation  of, 
80 ;  volunteers  from,  for  the  Mexican 
War,  154 

Colesville,  migration  from,  to  Missouri, 
210 

Colleges  of  Missouri,  454,  455,  462-463 

Colonization  Society,  299-300 

Commercial  Company  for  the  Dis 
covery  of  the  Nations  of  the  Upper 
Missouri,  organized,  171 

Committee  of  public  safety,  approves 
plan  to  capture  Camp  Jackson,  342; 
membership  of,  342,  ft.  n.  2 ;  cir 
cular  asking  for  complaints  from 
loyalists,  351-352;  offended  by  the 
Price-Harney  agreement,  351 

Common  fields,  41,  57-58,  85 

Commons,  58,  85 

Compromise,  Missouri,  first,  108-110; 
second,  132-138;  of  1850,  270-271 

"Conditional  Union  men,"  in  the  State 
convention,  329-330 

Confederate  Congress,  admits  Missouri 
into  the  Confederacy,  370 

Confederates,  abandon  hope  of  taking 
Missouri  out  of  the  Union  after  Pea 
Ridge,  372;  conduct  recruiting 
parties  in  Missouri,  376;  bitter 
feelings  toward  the  State  militia, 
381 ;  number  of,  from  Missouri, 
391-392 

Congress,  petition  of  Mormons  to, 
225-226;  grants  land  to  the  rail 
roads,  234,  235,  237 ;  defeats  Wil- 
mot  Proviso,  270;  "Jackson  Reso 
lutions,"  271-277;  passes  Kansas- 
Nebraska  bill,  306-307  ;  refuses  ad 
mission  to  Kansas,  315-316;  de 
feats  compensated  abolishment  bill, 
399-400;  Bland  Silver  bill,  437- 


439.  Sec  also  Missouri  Compromise, 
Admission  of  Missouri,  Compromise 
of  1850 

Congressional  restrictions  upon  slavery, 
112-113 

Connecticut,  influence  of,  upon  the 
constitution  of  1820,  126 

Conservatism  of  Missourians,  228 

Conservatives,  rise  of,  401 

Conservative  Unionists,  national  con 
vention,  323;  organized  in  Missouri 
in  1866,  417;  defeated  in  1866,  417; 
cooperation  with  the  Democrats  in 
1868,  418 

Constitutional  convention,  State  and 
National,  1775-1820,  119 

Constitutional  convention  of  1820, 
authorized  by  Congress,  108-109; 
election  of  delegates,  115-116; 
personnel  of  delegates,  116-118; 
work  of  the  convention,  118-121; 
adoption  of  the  constitution,  119, 
127;  committees  of,  125-126;  Ben- 
ton's  influence  upon,  256 

Constitutional  convention  of  1845,  re~ 
jects  abolition  petitions,  298 

Constitutional  convention  of  1865, 
authorized  by  the  State  convention, 
405 ;  passage  of  the  Emancipation 
ordinance,  405-406;  debate  on 
suffrage,  408;  on  the  disqualifica 
tion  of  voters,  408-410 

Constitutional  convention  of  1875, 
election  of  delegates  to,  429;  pro 
ceedings  of,  429-432 

Constitution  of  1820,  adopted  by  the 
constitutional  convention,  119;  pre 
amble,  121;  boundaries  of,  122; 
frame  of  government,  122-124; 
declaration  of  rights,  124;  schedule, 
124;  authorship  of,  124-125;  sources 
of,  126-127;  objectionable  clauses 
about  free  negroes,  132-136;  article 
on  banks,  144-145 ;  provisions  re 
garding  emancipation,  256 ;  regard 
ing  slavery,  291-293  ;  powers  regard 
ing  public  education,  453 ;  attempt 
to  revise  in  1845,  264 

Constitution  of  1845,  defeated,  264 

Constitution  of  1865,  emancipation 
ordinance,  405-406 ;  qualifications 
for  suffrage,  for  the  professions,  and 
for  office-holding,  407-411;  powers 
regarding  education,  455-456 ;  adop 
tion,  411-412 


INDEX 


481 


Constitution  of  1875,  provisions 
concerning  loans,  345 ;  concerning 
the  legislature,  429-430;  executive, 
430;  judiciary,  430;  revenue  and 
taxes,  430;  education,  431;  adop 
tion  of,  431-432;  amendments  to, 
432;  demands  for  a  new  constitu 
tion,  432-435 

Constitution,  Topeka,  315-316 

Convention,  State,  authorized  by  the 
legislature,  327-328;  election  of 
delegates  to,  329-330;  first  session, 
331-333;  second  session,  393,  369; 
third  session,  396-397 ;  fourth  ses 
sion,  397-398,  400;  fifth  session, 
400-401 

Conventions,  political.  Sec  Political 
Parties 

Conventions,   railroad.     See  Railroads 

Cook,  John  D.,  in  constitutional  con 
vention  of  1820,  118,  124-126 

Cook,  Nathaniel,  in  constitutional  con 
vention  of  1820,  125;  candidate  for 
the  U.  S.  Senate,  128 

Cooper,  Benjamin,  attempts  to  make 
a  settlement  in  Boone's  Lick  terri 
tory,  68;  Santa  Fe  trader,  195 

Cooper  County,  represented  in  the 
first  Missouri  railroad  convention, 
230 

Cooper,  Stephen,  Santa  Fe"  trader,  195 

Cordclling,  183 

Coroner,  office  of,  124 

Cottey  College,  463 

Council  of  the  Indians,  54 

Counties,  foundation  of,  5;  in  1804, 
77-78;  formation  of  new  ones  in 
1812-20,  78-80;  in  the  State  in 
1821,  80;  creation  of  ten  new  ones 
in  1820,  131 ;  creation  of  new  coun 
ties,  1820-41,  263-264;  "wet" 
and  "dry"  counties,  464;  without 
railroads,  246 

County  aid  to  railroads,  245-246 

County  Unit  Law,  465 

Courses  of  study  in  colleges  before  the 
Civil  War,  455 

Courts,  during  the  Spanish  period, 
53-54 ;  during  the  territorial  period, 
100-103  5  according  to  the  constitu 
tion  of  1820,  123-124;  opposition  to 
the  court  of  chancery,  131;  tenure 
of  judges,  263  ;  "  ousting  ordinance," 
412-413 

Cowdery,  Oliver,  219,  220,  ft.  n.  i 


Creve  Coeur,  early  history  of,  43-44 

Crooked  River,  battle  of,  223 

Cruzat,  Lieutenant  Governor,  or 
ganizes  the  expedition  against  St. 
Joseph,  Mich.,  30 

Cummings,  Father,  case  of,  on  test 
oath,  414 

Cumorah  Hill,  206 

Currency,  "wild  cat"  or  "dog,"  144— 
150,  262;  contraction  of,  after  Civil 
War,  436 

Curtis,  General  Sam  R.,  at  Pea  Ridge, 
371;  at  Independence,  388 

Dallas  County,  without  railroads,  246 

"Danites,"  a  sect  of  Mormons,  219-220 

Daugherty,  Major,  with  the  Third 
Missouri  Mounted  Volunteers,  158, 
ft.  n.  2 

Daughters  of  American  Revolution, 
erect  Santa  Fe  Trail  markers,  202 

Daviess  County,  Mormon  troubles  in, 
220-222;  Adam-ondi-Ahman,  ^22 

Davis,  Jefferson,  attitude  toward  Sterl 
ing  Price,  165,  ft.  n.  i ;  inaugura 
tion,  329,  ft.  n.  i ;  sends  munitions 
to  Camp  Jackson,  338-339;  trans 
fers  Price  to  the  Trans-Mississippi 
Department,  385 

De  Bourgmont  expedition,  1722-23,  9 

Debt,  State,  241-245 

Declaration  of  Rights  in  the  constitu 
tion  of  1820,  124 

De  Lassus,  lieutenant  governor  of 
Upper  Louisiana,  33-34 ;  census 
taken  by,  in  1799,  52,  ft.  n.  i ;  ap 
points  Daniel  Boone  as  syndic,  63 ; 
grants  land  to  Boone,  64 

Delaware,  influence  of,  on  the  con 
stitution  of  Missouri,  126 

Delawares,  brought  to  Missouri  by 
Lorimier,  47 ;  during  the  War  of 
1812,  66-72;  cessions  of  land  by, 
72;  Mormon  mission  to,  207 

Delegate  to  Congress  from  Missouri, 
102-103 

De  Leyba,  in  command  at  St.  Louis, 
26-27 ;  appeals  to  George  Rogers 
Clark,  29;  death,  31;  defense  of,  31 

Delor  de  Treget,  founder  of  Caronde- 
let,  18,  ft.  n.  i,  43 

Democratic  party,  attempt  to  win 
Mormon  vote  in  Daviess  County, 
221;  reorganized  under  Jackson, 
258;  control  in  Missouri,  1832-63, 


482 


INDEX 


261 ;  favors  the  creation  of  new 
counties  in  1832,  264;  Democratic 
convention  captured  by  the  "Hards" 
in  1844,  265;  strength  of,  in  the 
legislature  in  1844,  268;  national 
conventions  in  1860,  323;  supports 
Conservative  Unionists  in  1866, 
417;  activity  in  1868,  417-418; 
alliance  with  the  Liberals  in  1870, 
421;  in  1872,  424-426;  victory  in 
1874,  427;  rule  from  1874  to  1904, 
428;  defeated  in  1894,  428,  439- 
440;  in  1904  and  1908,  428 

Democratic  Platform,  the,  newspaper 
at  Liberty,  310 

Democratic-Republican  party  in  1820, 
258 

Denver,  Governor,  assists  in  suppress 
ing  the  border  troubles,  319-320 

Des  Moines,  railroad  connections  es 
tablished  with  St.  Louis,  247 

De  Soto,  expedition  of,  i 

De  Villiers,  commandant  of  Upper 
Louisiana,  19 

Dewitt,  Mormons  at,  222 

Diocese  of  St.  Louis,  founded,  90-91 

Disqualifications  for  voting  and  office- 
holding  in  1861-62,  397-398;  in 
1865,  407-410;  for  the  professions, 
410-411 

District  of  Louisiana,  organized,  TOO  ; 
protest  from  the  people  of,  in  1805, 
101 

District  system  for  Congressional  elec 
tions,  264-265 

Dodge,  General  Henry,  expedition 
against  Indians,  69;  member  of 
the  constitutional  convention  of 
1820,  118 

Don  Carlos  el  Tercero  le  Roy,  18 

Doniphan,  A.  W.,  elected  Colonel  of 
the  Missouri  Regiment  for  the  Mexi 
can  War,  154  ;  assists  in  drafting  the 
constitution  for  New  Mexico,  157; 
expedition  against  the  Navajos,  158 
1 60;  expedition  through  Mexico, 
160-163;  reception  of  troops  at  St. 
Louis,  164;  counsel  for  the  Mormons, 
213;  Whig  candidate  for  the  U.  S. 
Senate,  284;  draws  up  manifestoes 
against  John  Brown,  318 

Douglas  County,  without  railroads,  246 

Douglas,  Stephen  A.,  nominated  for 
President,  323;  vote  for,  in  Mis 
souri  in  1860,  325 


Draconian  Code,  407,  ft.  n.  i 

Drake,  Charles  D.,  chairman  of  com 
mittee  of  seventy  before  Lincoln, 
402  ;  leader  of  the  constitutional  con 
vention  of  1865,  407;  author  of  the 
Drake  constitution,  407 ;  passing 
from  Missouri  politics,  422 

Drake  constitution.  See  Constitution 
of  1865 

Dress  of  the  French  settlers,  60 

Drunkenness  in  Missouri  during  the 
Spanish  period,  82 

"Dry"  counties  and  towns,  464 

Du  Bourg,  Bishop  of  Louisiana,  in 
Missouri,  90-92 

Ducharme,  Indian  trader  in  Missouri, 
27,  ft.  n.  i ;  connected  with  the  at 
tack  upon  St.  Louis,  27,  ft.  n.  i.,  29 

Dueling,  during  the  Spanish  period, 
83-84;  between  Benton  and  Jack 
son,  251 

D'Ulloa,  arrives  in  New  Orleans,  2,  ft. 
n.  i,  17;  sends  Captain  Rui  to  Mis 
souri  to  build  forts,  18 

Dunklin,  Governor,  relation  with  the 
Mormons,  212-213;  elected  gov 
ernor,  261 

Dutch  Henry's  Crossing,  activities  of 
John  Brown  at,  317-318 

Drury  College,  462 

Dryden,  Judge,  413 

Eads,  James  B.,  451 

Earthquake  of  1811,  effects  of,  76-77; 
New  Madrid  claims,  77,  ft.  n.  i. 

Education,  provisions  concerning,  in 
the  constitution  of  1820,  453;  in 
the  constitution  of  1875,  431;  laws 
against  instructing  negroes,  296. 
See  also  Schools 

Edwards,  Governor,  issues  a  call  for 
volunteers  for  the  Mexican  \Var, 
154;  views  about  railroads,  229; 
nominated  for  governor,  265;  elected 
governor,  268 

Election,  Presidential,  1820,  133,  ft.  n. 
i,  131;  1824,  258-259;  1860,  323- 
325;  1864,  405;  1868,  418;  1872, 
424-426;  1904  and  1908,  428;  State, 
1820,  127-128;  1820-30,  258-259; 
at  Gallatin  in  1838,  221  ;  1862-64, 
398;  1866,  419;  1868,  418;  1872, 
424-426 ;  constitutional  convention, 
1820,  116;  State  convention,  329— 
331;  on  the  adoption  of  the  con- 


INDEX 


483 


stitution  of  1865,  311-412;  on  the 
constitution  of  1875,  428-429;  on 
constitutional  amendments  (see  Con 
stitutional  amendments) ;  in  Kansas 
in  1855,  312-315 

Elementary  schools,  prior  to  the  Civil 
War,  453 ;  during  the  Civil  War, 
455  ;  after  the  Civil  War,  456 

El  Principe  de  Asturias  —  Sefior  Don 
Carlos,  1 8 

Emancipation  of  slaves,  provision  for, 
in  the  constitution  of  1820,  256,  291- 
292 ;  early  movement  in  Missouri 
for,  298;  scheme  of  1828,  299;  Mis 
souri  Colonization  Society,  299-300; 
private,  300;  Fremont's  proclama 
tion,  399 ;  Lincoln's  scheme  for  com 
pensated  abolishment,  399-400 ;  ordi 
nance  of  1863  providing  for,  by  1870, 
400-401 ;  Lincoln's  proclamation, 
402;  ordinance  of  1865  providing 
for  immediate,  405-406 

Enabling  Act  of  1820,  passage  of,  108; 
five  propositions  of,  120-121 

England,  acquires  eastern  Louisiana, 
2;  attacks  St.  Louis,  22-31;  makes 
peace  with  the  United  States,  361 ; 
relations  with  the  Indians  during 
1812,  66,  68;  treaty  with  the  United 
States  over  the  Oregon  country,  255 

Enquirer,  St.  Louis,  rival  of  the  Gazette, 
94;  Benton  as  editor  of,  254-255 

Enrolled  Missouri  Militia,  402,  ft.  n.  i 

Episcopal  Church  in  St.  Louis,   1816, 

QO 

OO 

Era  of  Good  Feeling,  258 

Ewing,  General  H.  S.,  at  Pilot  Knob, 
387 

Ewing,  Thomas,  "Order  Number 
Eleven,"  382-383 

Exchange  Bank  (St.  Louis),  founded, 
148  _ 

Executive  department,  provisions  for, 
in  the  constitution  of  1820,  123;  in 
the  constitution  of  1875,  430 

Expedition,  of  George  Rogers  Clark, 
22-24;  of  Kearny  and  Doniphan, 
151-166;  of  fur  companies,  169-181; 
Lewis  and  Clark,  171;  Pike,  171, 
189-190;  Malgores,  189,  ft.  n.  i; 
Becknell,  190-191 

Expulsion  of  the  Mormons  from  Mis 
souri,  210 

Exterminating  Order  of  Governor 
Boggs,  223 


Farmers'  Exchange  Bank  at  Lexington, 
founded,  148 

Farmington,  46 

Farms,  of  French  settlers,  57-59 ;  of 
American  settlers,  61 ;  just  prior 
to  the  Civil  War,  289;  in  recent 
years,  445~446 

Far  West,  Mormon  capital,  218-219; 
Mormon  temple  at,  220;  captured 
by  General  Lucas,  223-224 

Federalist  party,  declining  from  1816 
to  1820,  258 

Federals,  number  of,  in  Civil  War  from 
Missouri,  391-392 

Ferries  during  the  territorial  period,  95 

Fighting  in  Missouri,  during  the  Span 
ish  period,  83 

Finance,  provisions  during  the  Civil 
War,  396 ;  provisions  concerning, 
in  the  constitution  of  1875,  430,  433  ; 
deficiencies  in  1916,  452-453 

Findlay,  Jonathan,  118 

First  Dragoons  of  the  U.  S.  Army  in 
the  Mexican  War,  154 

Flatboats,  96, 182 

Fletcher,  Governor  T.  C.,  elected  gov 
ernor,  405 ;  speech  celebrating  the 
passage  of  the  ordinance  of  emanci 
pation,  405,  ft.  n.  3  ;  proclaiming  the 
constitution  of  1865,  412 

Flint,  Timothy,  88 

Florissant,  early  history  of,  43 

Folk,  Joseph  W.,  elected  governor,  428, 
ft.  n.  2 

Fort  Benton,  steamboat  arrivals  at, 
186,  ft.  n.  i 

Fort  Chartres,  location,  3  ;  founded,  5  ; 
headquarters  of  the  French  com 
mandant,  6 ;  fort  at,  7 ;  place  of 
deposit  for  lead,  1 2  ;  Laclede  winters 
at,  14;  migration  of  people  from, 
to  Missouri,  19 

Fort  Orleans,  8-10 

Forts,  in  French  settlements  in  Illinois, 
7;  Spanish,  in  Missouri,  17-18; 
erected  during  the  War  of  1812,  69-70 

Forty-niners,  204,  226 

Foster,  Major,  at  Lone  Jack,  378 

Fourche  Renault,  n 

Fowler,  Major,  of  Kentucky,  191 

Foxes.     See  Sacs  and  Foxes 

France,  territorial  losses  of,  in  America, 
1762-63,  2;  alliance  with  English 
colonies  against  England,  23 ;  al 
liance  with  Spain,  23 


INDEX 


Francis,  Governor  David  R.,  439 
Franklin,  founded,  75 ;    value  of  land 
in  1815/75  ;  Missouri  Intelligencer  at, 
94;    landing  of  the  first  steamboat 
at,   95 ;     celebration  over   the   first 
Missouri  compromise,  115;  terminus 
of  Santa  Fe"  Trail,  199 
Franklin  County,  created,  79;    volun 
teers  from,   for  the  Mexican  War, 

154 

Frauds,  railroad.     Sec  Railroad  bonds 

Fredericktown,  46 

Free  negroes,  clause  in  the  constitution 
of  1820  concerning,  132,  300-301 ; 
law  of  1847  against  the  migration 
of,  into  the  State,  138;  anxiety  of 
slaveholders  concerning,  291,  ft.  n. 
i ;  number  in  Missouri  from  1810- 
60,  287,  ft.  n.  i ;  mobs  against,  294; 
deterred  the  emancipation  of  slaves, 
299;  fear  of  rapid  invasion  of,  301 ; 
code  of,  301 ;  later  laws  against, 
301-302 

Free  silver  campaign  in  Missouri,  436- 
441 

Frgmont,  John  C.,  in  charge  of  the  De 
partment  of  Missouri,  360;  delay 
in  reaching  St.  Louis,  361 ;  advances 
upon  Jefferson  City,  367-368 ;  plans 
in  Southwest,  368;  proclamation 
of  emancipation,  399 

French  and  Indian  War,  2 

French  exploring  expeditions  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  i 

French  language  used  in  St.  Louis  in 
1820,  76 

French  Louisiana,  early  French  ex 
plorations  in  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
i ;  protest  of  French  settlers  against 
the  cession  of  Louisiana  by  France 
to  Spain,  2,  ft.  n.  i ;  early  settle 
ments  in,  7-17;  slave  code  of,  272, 
ft.  n.  i 

French  settlements  in  Illinois,  founded, 
3-7 ;  emigration  from  Illinois  into 
Missouri,  18-19 

"Friends of  Society,"  312 

Frisco  Railroad.  See  Southwest  Branch 
of  the  Pacific  Railroad 

Frost,  General,  in  charge  of  troops  on 
the  Kansas  border,  321 ;  recom 
mends  plan  regarding  the  State 
militia,  338;  protests  to  Lyon 
against  the  proposed  capture  of 
Camp  Jackson,  342-343  ;  surrenders 


Camp  Jackson,  343-344;  parole  of 
Frost's  soldiers,  345,  ft.  n.  i 

Funsten  Brothers  and  Company,  180- 
181 

Fur  trade,  in  early  Illinois  French  set 
tlements,  6 ;  in  early  Missouri  French 
settlements,  13,  41,  48,  59,  96,  141, 
169-171;  furs  as  barter,  141,  170; 
cheating  in  furs,  142;  trading  by 
individuals,  13,  170-171;  by  com 
panies,  171-179;  trading  posts,  173- 
174;  rendezvous  system,  176-177; 
pack  train,  177 ;  decline  of  trade  at 
St.  Louis,  1860-90,  179-180;  re 
vival  since  1890,  1 80,  447;  auction 
sales,  180-181 ;  fur  markets  at 
Leipsic  and  London,  1 81 ;  St.  Louis, 
the  "  Fur  City,"  181 ;  Santa  Fe"  trade, 
196-197.  See  also  Maxent,  Lisa, 
Ashley,  and  Astor. 

Gaines,  General,  152-153 

Galena,  steamboat  connection  with  St. 
Louis,  143 

Gallatin,  Mormon  troubles  at,  221 

Gallipolis,  immigrants  from,  to  New 
Bourbon,  44-45 

Gamble,  Hamilton  R.,  report  of  com 
mittee  on  Federal  relations,  332; 
elected  governor,  369,  394 ;  military 
order  of,  379;  sketch  of,  394,  ft.  n. 
i ;  address  to  the  people  of  the 
State,  395 ;  grants  amnesty  to 
rebels  in  1860,  410;  attacked  by 
Radicals,  401-402;  death,  406,  ft. 
n.  i 

Gambling,  during  the  territorial  period, 
82-83 

Gardenhire,  James  B.,  324 

Gardner,  Governor,  453 

Gardoqui,  Spanish  ambassador  to  the 
United  States,  49 

Gasconade  County,  created,  80 

Gasconade  River  accident,  239 

Gayoso,  38 

General  assembly,  first,  1820,  128-130; 
first  meeting  of,  at  Jefferson  City, 
131,  ft.  n.  i;  elects  Presidential 
electors  in  1820,  133,  ft.  n.  i ;  enacts 
Solemn  Public  Act  in  1821,  136-138. 
See  also  Legislature 

Gentry,  Richard,  195 

Gentry,  William,  427 

Geographical  advantages  of  Missouri, 
168 


INDEX 


485 


Georgia,  representative  from,  before 
the  State  convention,  332 

German  Reformed  Church  in  Cape 
Girardeau  District,  87 

Germans,  early  migration  of,  to  Cape 
Girardeau,  48;  attitude  of,  toward 
slavery,  300;  the  "Black  Guard," 
344 ;  in  the  Home  Guard,  347  ;  fear 
of,  by  the  native  Americans  of  St. 
Louis,  347-348;  welcome  Lyon  in 
Jefferson  City,  355;  in  "wet" 
counties,  464 

"Gettysburg  of  the  West,"  389-390 

Geyer,  H.  S.,  elected  to  the  U.  S.  Sen 
ate,  277 

Gilpin,  Major,  159-160 

Girardot,  settlement  by,  on  Cape 
Girardeau  promontory,  47 

Glenn,    Hugh,    Santa    Fe    trader,    191 

Gold  Democrats  in  Missouri,  439-441 

Gold  plates,  Mormon,   204-206 

Government,  of  French  settlements 
on  the  Illinois,  6  ;  of  Louisiana  during 
the  Spanish  period,  19-21,  52-55; 
of  Missouri  during  the  territorial 
period,  99-104 ;  of  Missouri  as  a 
State  (see  Constitutions) 

Governors,  colonial,  52-55 ;  terri 
torial,  100-103 ;  provision  in  the 
constitution  for,  123;  from  McNair 
to  Miller,  258;  roster  of  governors 
from  McNair  to  Gardner,  471-472 

Grange,  origin  of,  427 ;  alliance  with 
the  Republicans  in  1874,  427 

Grant,  U.  S.,  at  Belmont,  373  ;  captures 
Forts  Henry  and  Donelson,  374 ; 
Shiloh,  375 ;  dissatisfaction  in  Mis 
souri  with  the  administration  of, 
425-426;  defeated  in  Missouri  for 
President,  426 

Gratiot,  Charles,  25 

Great  caravan,  of  1720,  8 

Greeley,  Horace,  426 

Greenback  movement,  436-437 

Green,  Daniel,  65 
Green,  Duff,  118 
Green,  James  B.,  276 
Grosvenor,  Edward,  419,  ft.  n.  i 
Growth     of     settlements    during     the 
Spanish     period,    32-52;      1803-12 
67 ;    1815-20,  74-76 
Guerrillas,  382 

Hadley,  Herbert  S.,  Governor,  428,  ft 
n,  i 


Hall,  Willard  P.,  assists  in  drafting 
the  constitution  for  New  Mexico, 
157;  introduces  the  Kansas-Ne 
braska  Bill  into  Congress,  306; 
elected  lieutenant  governor,  369, 
394;  message  to  the  legislature, 

4i3 
Flampden,  anti-slavery  town  in  Kansas, 

309 

Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph  Railroad, 
grants  from  the  legislature  to,  236, 
237,  ft.  n.  i,  239,  ft.  n.  i ;  construc 
tion  of,  185,  237,  240;  continues 
paying  interest  on  bonds,  241 

Elardin  College,  463 

tlardin,  elected  governor,  427 

'Hards,"  rise  of,  261-262;  led  by 
Benton,  262 ;  capture  State  con 
vention  in  1844,  265 ;  opposed  by 
"Softs,"  265;  victorious,  268 

Harney,  General  W.  S.,  called  to 
Washington,  341 ;  action  after  the 
capture  of  Camp  Jackson,  347 ; 
makes  an  agreement  with  Price, 
350-351 ;  removed,  351-352 

Harrison,  William  H.,  governor  of 
Indiana  Territory,  100,  ft.  n.  3 

Hawn's  Mill,  battle  of,  223 

Hayes,  President,  vetoes  the  Bland  bill, 
438 

Hays,  Colonel  Upton,  378 

Hedrick,  Granville,  226 

"Hedrickites,"  migrate  to  Independ 
ence,  226;  secure  possession  of  Tem 
ple  Lot,  208-209 

Helena,  battle  of,  386 

Hemp,  cultivation  of,  288 

Hempstead,  Thomas,  115 

Henderson,  John  B.,  introduces  the 
"compensated  abolishment"  bill  into 
the  Senate,  399-400;  defeated  for 
governor,  426 

Herald-Statesman,  the,  94 

Herculaneum,  shot  tower  at,  72,  104, 
ft.  n.  2 

Hesse,  leader  of  the  Indians  in  the  at 
tack  upon  St.  Louis,  25 

High  schools,  prior  to  the  Civil  War, 
453 ;  during  the  Civil  War,  455 ; 
after  the  Civil  War,  457 

Holmes,  Nathaniel,  413 

Home  Guards,  organized  at  St.  Louis, 
342,  ft.  n.  2  ;  clash  with  the  Southern 
sympathizers,  347  ;  Governor  Jack 
son's  proposition  concerning,  to 


486 


INDEX 


,  352;  Lyon's  proposition  to 
Jackson,  352-353 

House  of  Representatives.  See  Legis 
lature 

Houses,  of  French  settlers,  55-56;  of 
American  settlers,  61 

Howard  County,  formed,  78-79;  value 
of  land  in  1815,  75;  fort  in,  70;  ex 
pression  from,  on  the  Missouri  bill, 
112;  volunteers  from,  for  the  Mexican 
war,  154;  representation  in  the  first 
railroad  convention  at  St.  Louis,  230 

Howard,  General,  69 

Howard-Payne  College,  463 

Hudson's  Bay  Company,  172 

Hughes,  John  T.,  375 

Hunter,  General,  368 

Hunting,  early,  in  Missouri,  12 

Illinois,  country,  3,  ft.  n.  i ;  French 
settlements  in,  3,  5 ;  Kaskaskia,  ter 
ritorial  capital  of,  5,  ft.  n.  2 ;  immi 
gration  from  French  Canada  to,  6; 
fur  trade  in,  6;  character  of  the 
early  French  settlers  in,  6 ;  Catholic 
church  in,  6;  transfer  from  France 
to  England,  19;  disorder  in,  from 
1778  to  1790,  35;  Indians  in,  during 
the  War  of  1812,  68;  influence  upon 
the  constitution  of  1820,  126;  mi 
gration  of  Mormons  from  Missouri 
to,  225;  represented  in  the  railroad 
convention  at  St.  Louis,  235 

Illiteracy  in  Missouri,  463 

Immigration  into  Missouri,  from 
French  settlements  of  Illinois,  18-19, 
35-36,  46;  from  American  settle 
ments  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee, 
35 ;  Spanish  inducements  for,  37-38  ; 
induced  by  Saucier,  41 ;  during  the 
territorial  period,  74 ;  Mormon, 
207-227;  from  free  and  slave  states 
between  1820  and  1860,  287-288; 
laws  against  free  negro,  301-302 ; 
after  the  Civil  War,  445 

Indebtedness,  State,  448;  certificates 
of,  450-452;  county  and  municipal, 
450,  ft.  n.  i ;  constitutional  amend 
ments  concerning,  452-453 

Independence,  banking  at,  149;  Santa 
Fe"  Trail  terminus,  199-200;  Mor 
mon  Zion,  206-224,  226-227;  reso 
lutions  of  citizens  of,  concerning  New 
England  emigrants  to  Kansas,  311; 
battle  of,  378 


Indiana,  District  of  Louisiana  under 
the  Territory  of,  100-101 ;  Presi 
dential  electoral  vote  in  1816,  13,  ft. 
n.  i ;  represented  in  the  railroad 
convention  at  St.  Louis,  225 

Indians,  relations  of,  with  early  French 
settlers  in  Illinois,  6;  attack  upon 
St.  Louis,  1870,  25-30;  difference 
between  the  attitude  of  French  and 
American  pioneers  toward,  26; 
assist  in  the  expedition  against  St. 
Joseph,  Mich.,  30;  war  between  the 
Sioux  and  the  Missouris,  41,  ft.  n. 
i ;  attack  upon  Mine  a  Breton,  46 ; 
expedition  against  Boonesborough, 
47,  ft.  n.  i ;  relations  of  Lorimier 
to,  47-48 ;  tribes  in  Missouri  in  1812, 
66 ;  troubles  during  the  War  of  1812, 
66-73;  methods  of  warfare  in  1812, 
69-70 ;  raids  against,  by  the  pioneers, 
84 ;  proposal  to  remove  the  Indians 
east  of  the  Mississippi  to  Missouri, 
101 ;  danger  from,  during  Santa  F6 
expeditions,  156;  Doniphan's  ex 
pedition  against  the  Navajos,  158- 
166;  bring  furs  to  St.  Louis,  170; 
hostility  of  Blackfeet  against  fur 
traders,  173;  relations  of  Manuel 
Lisa  with,  173-175;  bring  furs  to 
trading  posts,  176;  attack  Santa  F6 
caravans,  191-192  ;  Mormon  mission 
to,  206;  as  slaves,  286 

Industrial  Luminary,  newspaper  at 
Parkville,  310,  313-314 

Industries  in  Illinois  French  settle 
ments,  5-6;  in  Missouri  during  the 
Spanish  period,  60;  improvements 
in  the  territorial  period,  96,  169-171 ; 
in  St.  Louis  in  1850,  233;  in  recent 
times,  445-447 

Interstate  system  of  railroads,  247 

Invasions  of  Kansas  by  Missourians, 
312-314;  of  Missouri  by  Kansans, 
319-321 

Iowa,  admission  of,  into  the  Union,  168, 
ft.  n.  i ;  representation  at  the  rail 
road  convention,  235 ;  boundary 
troubles  with,  448,  ft.  n.  i 

lowas,  cessions  of  land  by,  72 

Ironclad  oath,  the,  410 

Jackson,  Andrew,  vetoes  the  Bank  bill, 
143;  orders  U.  S.  infantry  to  ac 
company  Santa  Fe  caravans,  192; 
part  in  the  War  of  1812,  251;  quar- 


INDEX 


487 


rel  with  Benton,  251 ;  candidate  for 
Presidency  in  1824,  258;  reorganizes 
the  Democratic  party,  258;  elected 
President  in  1828,  259;  reflected  in 
1832,  260-261 

Jackson,  Claiborne  F.,  reports  the 
"Jackson  Resolutions,"  273,  ft.  n.  i; 
replies  to  Benton's  "Appeal,"  276; 
estimates  the  value  of  slaves  in  Mis 
souri,  290 ;  connection  with  the  Kan 
sas  invasions,  315;  elected  governor 
in  1860,  324;  sketch  of,  326,  ft.  n.  i  ; 
inaugural  address,  326-327 ;  disap 
pointment  over  the  action  of  the 
State  convention,  335 ;  refuses  to 
comply  with  Lincoln's  call,  335-336; 
urges  the  people  to  arm  against 
Federal  invasion,  337 ;  musters  the 
State  militia  in  camps,  337 ;  inter 
view  with  Lyon,  352-354;  mobilizes 
State  troops,  353-354;  calls  for  vol 
unteers,  355 ;  goes  to  Boonville, 
355  ;  calls  special  session  of  the  legis 
lature  at  Neosho,  368;  collapse  of 
government,  395-396  ;  issues  a  Dec 
laration  of  Independence,  396,  ft.  n. 
i ;  death,  355,  ft.  n.  i 

Jackson  County,  volunteers  from,  for 
the  Mexican  War,  154;  Mormon 
troubles  in,  210-217;  expulsion  of 
Mormons  into  Clay  County,  215; 
attempt  to  arbitrate  differences  with 
the  Mormons,  216;  Confederate 
recruiting  in,  378;  "Order  Number 
Eleven,"  382;  value  of  land,  446; 
votes  "dry"  in  1916,  465-466 

Jackson,  Hancock,  324 

Jackson  Herald,  the,  1 1 2 

Jackson,  Lieutenant  Colonel,  in  Navajo 
expedition,  159 

Jackson  (Mo.),  illuminated  in  honor  of 
the  first  Missouri  Compromise,  115 

"  Jackson  Resolutions,"  introduced  into 
the  Missouri  legislature,  271-272; 
reported  back  to  the  Senate  by  Jack 
son,  326,  ft.  n.  i;  text  of,  272-273; 
passage  of,  274;  Benton's  "Appeal" 
and  canvass,  274-276 

"Jayhawkers,"  invade  Missouri,  319- 
321;  devastation  by,  during  the 
Civil  War,  384 

Jefferson  City,  selected  as  capital,  131, 
ft.  n.  i;  State  convention  at,  331; 
attempt  of  Price  to  take,  387 ;  meet 
ing  of  Radicals  at,  401-402 


Jefferson  County,  created,  79;  resolu 
tions  from,  on  the  Missouri  Bill,  112; 
contest  over  the  election  of  delegates 
to  the  constitutional  convention  of 
1820,  116,  ft.  n.  i;  representation 
in  first  railroad  convention,  230 

Jesuits,  settlement  of,  at  River  des 
Peres,  7 

Johnson,  Charles  P.,  425-426 

Joliet,  expedition  of,  i 

Jones,  John  Rice,  member  of  constitu 
tional  convention  of  1820,  123-124; 
candidate  for  the  Senate,  128 

Judiciary,  provisions  concerning,  in 
the  constitution  of  1820,  123-124; 
in  the  constitution  of  1875,  430 

Junior  colleges,  463 

Justices  of  the  peace,  created  by  the 
constitution  of  1820,  124;  for  the 
trial  of  slaves,  293 

Kansas  City,  banks  of,  149  ;  steamboat 
terminus,  186;  efforts  to  revive 
steamboat  traffic,  186;  railroad 
center,  247  ;  twentieth  city  in  popu 
lation  in  the  Union,  444;  packing 
industry  in,  447 
Kansas  City  Missouri  Navigation 

Company,  186 

Kansas  Indians,  cessions  of  land  by,  72 
Kansas,  Mormon  mission  to  Indians 
in,  206 ;  border  troubles,  304 ;  in 
terest  of  Missourians  in  the  Nebraska 
territory,  305-306 ;  Kansas-Nebraska 
Act,  284,  306-307 ;  rush  to,  from 
Missouri  and  New  England,  308-309  ; 
attitude  of  Missourians  toward  emi 
grants  from  the  East  to,  309-310; 
Missouri  Defensive  Association,  311- 
312;  Missourians  at  elections  in,  3 1 2- 
316;  invasion  of,  by  "Border  Ruffi 
ans,"  316-319;  admission  into  the 
Union,  168,  ft.  n.  i,  319;  invasion  of 
Missouri  by  "Jayhawkers,"  319-321 ; 
restoration  of  order,  321;"  Red  Legs," 
381-382  ;  sacking  of  Lawrence,  382 
Kansas-Nebraska  Act,  284,  306-307 
Kaskaskia,  location  of,  3  ;  founding  of, 
5  ;  description  of,  5  ;  fort  at,  7  ;  early 
mining  and  hunting  in  Missouri  by 
people  from,  10,  12  ;  gives  nicknames 
to  French  settlements  in  Missouri, 
17;  capture  of,  by  George  Rogers 
Clark,  22-23;  reduction  in  popula 
tion  of,  30;  slaves  at,  286 


488 


INDEX 


Kearny,  Colonel  Stephen,  in  charge  of 
"Army  of  the  West,"  153;  given 
command  of  Santa  Fe"  expedition, 
154;  march  to  Santa  Fe",  156-157; 
proclamation  annexing  New  Mexico, 
157;  expedition  to  California,  157 

Keel  boats,  96,  183 

Kennett,  Mayor,  begins  the  construc 
tion  of  the  Pacific  Railroad,  236 

Kentucky,  emigration  from,  to  Mis 
souri,  74;  influence  of,  on  the  con 
stitution  of  Missouri,  126;  repre 
sented  at  the  railroad  convention 
in  St.  Louis,  235  ;  immigration  from, 
to  Missouri,  288;  influence  of  slave 
code  of,  on  Missouri's  code,  292 ; 
attempt  to  be  neutral  on  secession, 
322;  significance  of  the  battle  of 
Pea  Ridge  upon  affairs  in,  373 

Kerr,  present  post  office  of  Far  West, 
219 

Kickapoo,  pro-slavery  town  in  Kansas, 
309 

Kickapoos,  cession  of  lands  by,  72 

King,  Austin  A.,  tries  Mormons  at 
Richmond,  224;  proposes  that  the 
legislature  grant  aid  to  the  railroads, 

235 

Kingston,  218 
Kirk,   John   R.,    State   superintendent 

of  schools,  457 
Kirksville,    battle    of,    377;     normal 

school  at,  461 
Kirtland,  Mormons  at,  206-207,  212, 

ft.  n.  i 

La  Charette,  early  history  of,  41-42 
Laclede,  founds  St.  Louis,  13-17;    in 
duces   French   to   migrate   from   Il 
linois    to     Missouri,     18-19;      with 
Maxent,  Laclede  and  Company,  170 
Laclede  Rangers,  in  Mexican  War,  154 
Lafayette    County,    volunteers    from, 

for  Mexican  War,  154 
Lamanite  Mission,  206-207 
Lamoni,    Iowa,    headquarters    of    the 
Reorganized     Latter     Day     Saints, 
226-227 
Land  grants  from  Congress  to  railroads, 

231,  234,  237 

Land  values,  in  recent  times,  446 
Lane,  "Jim,"  driven  from  the  State  by 
Price,   365 ;    leader   of   the   Kansas 
Freebooters,  381 ;    escapes  from  at 
tack  upon  Lawrence,  382 


L'Anse  a  la  Graise.     See  New  Madrid 

La  Prairie  du  Rocher,  location  of,  3  ; 
founded,  5 

La  Salle,  expedition  of,  i ;  attempt  to 
establish  a  settlement  near  Peoria,  4 

Lawless,  Judge,  298 

Lawrence,  Amos,  309 

Lawrence,  anti-slavery  town,  309; 
sack  of,  316-317;  382 

Lawrence  County,  18-19 

Laws,  concerning  banks,  144-145 ; 
against  the  use  of  "wild  cat"  cur 
rency,  147;  Parker,  456;  local 
option,  463-466 

Lawyers,  oath  for,  410 

Lead  and  lead  mining,  early,  10-12, 
169 ;  at  Mine  a  Breton,  45-46 ;  use  of 
slaves  in,  290 ;  at  present  time,  446 

Leavenworth,  pro-slavery  town,  309 

Lecompton,  pro-slavery  town,  309 ; 
plans  for  attack  upon,  318 

Leduc,  Marie  Philip,  129-130 

Legislative  department,  territorial,  102- 
103;  State,  122-123,  263-264,  429- 
430 ;  inequalities  of  representation 
in,  263-264 

Legislature,  drafts  memorial  for  state 
hood,  105  ;  charters  the  Bank  of  the 
State  of  Missouri,  144-145 ;  adopts 
resolution  on  the  Texas  question, 
152;  creates  Caldwell  County  for 
Mormons,  217;  incorporates  18 
railroads  in  1837,  230;  grants  State 
aid  to  railroads,  235-240;  inquires 
into  construction  of  the  railroads, 
238  ;  authorizes  sale  of  the  railroads, 
243 ;  investigates  the  sale,  244 ; 
passes  the  "Jackson  Resolutions," 
271-274;  passes  resolutions  of  1847 
on  the  principle  of  the  Missouri  Com 
promise,  274,  ft.  n.  2  ;  condemns  the 
North  for  interfering  with  the  policy 
of  each  state,  298;  commends  Van 
Buren  for  his  stand  on  abolition,  298 ; 
enacts  slave  code  and  laws,  292 ; 
enacts  laws  against  Abolitionists, 
297  ;  enacts  free  negro  code,  301-302  ; 
memorializes  Congress  concerning 
the  Nebraska  Territory,  305 ;  re 
port  of  Governor  Stewart  to,  on  the 
Kansas  border  troubles,  320;  com 
position  in  1860,  324;  attitude  of, 
toward  secession,  1860,  325-326; 
passes  resolution  against  coercion 
of  slave  states,  328;  enacts  military 


INDEX 


489 


bill  after  the  capture  of  Camp  Jack 
son,  348-350 ;  appropriates  money 
to  repel  Federal  invasions,  350; 
called  by  Jackson  into  special  session 
at  Neosho,  368;  issues  declaration 
of  secession,  369;  seats  declared 
vacant  by  the  State  convention, 
394;  inability  to  effect  emancipa 
tion  of  slaves,  400;  refuses  to  call 
a  constitutional  convention,  435 ; 
consolidates  school  funds,  481-482 ; 
enacts  Parker  laws,  456;  enacts 
local  option  laws,  463-466 
Lenman,  Senator,  hung  in  effigy,  115 
Le  Sieur,  Francis,  founds  New  Madrid, 

48;  founds  Little  Prairie,  51 
Lewis  and  Clark  expedition,  171 
Lewis  County,  Confederate  camps  in, 

377 
Lexington,  early  banking  in,  148-149; 

battle  of,  365-367 

Liberal  Democratic  party  in  1844,  265 
Liberal  Republicans,  rise  of,  419 ;  al 
liance  with  Democrats  in  1870,  421 ; 
gathering  of,  at  Jefferson  City,  425; 
disappearance  of,  426 
Liberty,  banking  at,  149;    meeting  of 
Mormons   and    citizens   of   Jackson 
County   at,    216;    Mormons  in  jail 
at,  224;   Federal  arsenal  at,  336 
License,  required  of  free  negroes,  301 
Lieutenant  governor,  office  of,  123 
Life  of  early  settlers,  in  French  settle 
ments  in  Illinois,  6 ;    in  French  set 
tlements  in  Missouri,  19-20,  55-61 ; 
in  American  settlements  in  Missouri, 
61-64 ;   during  the  territorial  period, 
81-97 

Lillard  County,  created,  80 
Lincoln,  Abraham,  elected  President, 
322-323;  vote  for,  in  Missouri  in 
1860,325;  calls  for  75,000  men,  335  ; 
orders  removal  of  Harney,  351-352; 
declared  partly  responsible  for 
"Order  Number  Eleven,"  385,  ft.  n. 
i ;  scheme  of  "compensated  abolish 
ment"  of  slavery,  399-400;  rela 
tions  with  the  Radicals  of  Missouri, 
401-405 ;  receives  committee  of 
seventy  from  Missouri,  402 ;  issues 
emancipation  proclamation,  402 
Lincoln  County,  fort,  70 ;  created,  79 ; 
resolutions  from,  on  the  Missouri 
bill,  112  ;  represented  in  the  railroad 
convention  at  St.  Louis,  230 


Lincoln  Institute,  462,  ft.  n.  i 

Lindenwood  College,  463 

Linn  County,  volunteers  from,  for  the 
Mexican  War,  158 

Liquor  industry,  466 

Lisa,  Manuel,  activity  of,  in  the  fur 
trade,  96;  organizes  fur  company, 
171;  connection  with  the  Missouri 
Fur  Company,  172-175 

Little  Meadows,  population  in  1799, 
52,  ft.  n.  i 

Little   Prairie.     See   Caruthersville 

Livingston  County,  volunteers  from, 
for  the  Mexican  War,  158 

Loan  certificates  of  Missouri,  143,  448, 
ft.  n.  i 

Local  option  laws,  463-466 

Lone  Jack,  battle  of,  378 

Lorimier,  founds  Cape  Girardeau,  47- 
48 ;  brings  Indians  into  Missouri,  67 

Louisiana,  state  of,  represented  at  the 
railroad  convention  at  St.  Louis,  235 

Louisiana  Purchase,  transfer  of,  from 
France  to  the  United  States,  33 ; 
effect  of,  on  American  immigration 
to  Missouri,  38-39;  effects  of,  on 
conditions  in  Missouri,  82 

Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  (1904), 
447,  ft.  n.  i 

Louisiana  Purchase  Treaty,  negotiated, 
32;  provisions  in,  regarding  slavery, 
291;  ratified  by  the  Senate,  100,  ft. 
n.  i 

Louisville,  steamboat  connection  with 
St.  Louis,  143 

Loutre  Island,  27,  ft.  n.  i 

Lovelace,  W.  L.,  413 

Love  joy,  Elijah  P.,  297 

Lucas,  J.  B.  C.,  candidate  for  the  U.  S. 
Senate,  128;  commission  for  adjust 
ing  land  claims,  130 

Lucas,  General  S.  D.,  223-224 

Lumber  industry,  446 

Lyon,  Nathaniel,  sketch  of,  339,  ft.  n. 
i ;  arrival  of,  in  St.  Louis,  339 ;  ac 
quires  control  of  the  Arsenal,  340; 
visits  Camp  Jackson,  341-342 ;  de 
cides  to  capture  Camp  Jackson,  342 ; 
declines  to  receive  protests  from 
General  Frost,  342-343 ;  captures 
Camp  Jackson,  343-345 ;  offended 
by  the  Price-Harney  agreement. 
351 ;  placed  in  command  at  St. 
Louis,  352;  interview  with  Jackson, 
352-354;  recognizes  the  strategic 


490 


INDEX 


importance  of  Boonville,  356; 
leads  Federal  forces  from  St.  Louis 
to  Springfield,  358-359;  asks  for 
reinforcements,  360-361 ;  command 
of  the  Department  of  Missouri  taken 
from  him,  360;  displeasure  over  the 
appointment  of  McClellan,  360 ; 
disappointment  over  Fremont,  360; 
advance  and  retreat  from  Cassville, 
362;  at  Wilson's  Creek,  363-364; 
death  of,  364 

McClellan,  put  in  charge  of  the  Depart 
ment  of  Missouri,  360 

McClurg,  elected  governor  in  1868,  410 

McCulloch,  General,  consents  to  assist 
Price  in  southwest  Missouri,  359 ; 
returns  to  Arkansas,  359  ;  differences 
between  him  and  Price,  362-363 ; 
in  command  at  Wilson's  Creek,  363- 
364;  refuses  to  assist  Price  after 
Wilson's  Creek,  365;  killed  at  Pea 
Ridge,  371 

McKendree  Chapel,  87-88 

Mackinaw,  182 

McKinley,  vote  for,  in  Missouri  in  1896, 
441,  ft.  n.  i 

Maclot,  John,  72,  104,  ft.  n.  2 

McNair,  William,  member  of  the  con 
stitutional  convention  of  1820,  118; 
elected  governor,  127,  258;  inaugu 
ration,  228;  recommends  the  pas 
sage  of  the  Solemn  Public  Act  by 
the  legislature,  136 

McNeil,  John  H.,  in  command  at  Kirks- 
ville,  377 

Macon  County,  created,  378 

Mail  routes  in  1819,  95 

Maine  bill,  108;  influence  of,  on  the 
constitution  of  Missouri,  126 

Malgores,  expedition  of,  189,  ft.  n.  i 

Manhattan,  anti-slavery  town,  309 

"  Manifest  destiny,"  belief  in,  151 

Manuel  Lisa,  Benoit  and  Company, 
171 

Manufactures,  in  St.  Louis  in  1810,  233  ; 
at  present,  446 

Marais  des  Liards,  population  in  1799, 
52,  ft.  n.  2 

Marmaduke,  John  S.,  raid  in  1863,  385 

Marmaduke,  M.  M.,  Santa  Fe  trader, 
195 ;  dropped  for  governor  by  the 
"Hards,"  265 

Marquette,  expedition  of,  i 

Marthasville,  42 


Maryville,  normal  school  at,  461 

Matamoras,  Doniphan's  advance  to,  163 

Maxent,  Laclede  and  Company,  13,  170 

Mechanics  Bank  (St.  Louis)  founded, 
148 

Meramec,  52,  ft.  n.  2 

Merchants  Bank  (St.  Louis)  founded, 
148 

Methodists  in  Missouri,  during  the 
territorial  period,  85-89 

Mexican  War,  first  volunteers  from 
Missouri  for,  152-153;  Benton's 
attitude  toward,  269.  See  also  Don- 
iphan  and  Kearny 

Mexico,  imprisonment  of  American 
traders  in,  189;  revolution  in,  190; 
tariffs  and  customs  regulations  upon 
American  traders  by,  194-195 ;  per 
mission  of,  for  the  U.  S.  to  survey 
the  Santa  ¥6  Trail,  198,  ft.  n.  i ;  trade 
with  United  States,  266-267.  See 
also  Mexican  War 

Miamis,  subdued  by  Dodge,  69 

Michigan  represented  at  the  railroad 
convention  at  St.  Louis,  235 

Migration  westward,  through  Missouri, 
1 68 

Mileage  of  railroads  in  Missouri,  240, 
243,  244,  246 

Military  bill,  enacted  by  the  legisla 
ture  in  i 86 i,  348-350 

Militia,  in  French  settlements  in  Il 
linois,  7;  during  the  War  of  1812, 
69.  See  also  State  Guard  and  State 
Militia 

Miller,  elected  governor  in  1825,  258; 
reflected  in  1828,  260 

Milling  industry,  446 

Mine  a  Breton,  n,  45 

Mine  la  Motte,  n 

Mining,  early,  10-11 ;  at  present,  446 

Minute  men,  340,  ft.  n.  i 

Miro,  Governor,  50 

Misere,  name  for  Ste.  Genevieve,  17 

Mississippi,  representative  from,  to 
the  Missouri  legislature  in  1860,  328 

Mississippi  River,  navigation  on,  dur 
ing  the  French  period,  5  ;  destroyed 
Kaskaskia,  5,  ft.  n.  2  ;  destroyed  Ste. 
Genevieve,  13  ;  navigation  on,  during 
the  Spanish  period,  159-161 ;  trib 
utaries  of,  1 68  ;  steamboat  traffic  on, 
181-186;  highway  of  the  State,  229  ; 
navigation  on,  during  the  nineteenth 
century,  233 


INDEX 


49 1 


Missouri,  temporary  French  settle 
ments  in,  7-10;  conditions  in, 
1763-70,  18-20;  Spanish  period, 
32;  War  of  1812,  66-73;  conditions 
during  the  territorial  period,  74-79 ; 
struggle  for  statehood,  99-138 ; 
territorial  government  of,  100-104; 
constitutional  convention  (1820), 
115-121;  first  constitution,  121- 
124;  beginning  of  statehood,  127: 
first  general  assembly,  128-131; 
seal,  130;  first  Presidential  electors, 
133,  ft.  n.  i ;  twenty-fourth  state 
in  the  Union,  138;  early  banking  in, 
140-150;  expeditions  of  Kearny 
and  Doniphan,  151-166;  Mexican 
War,  151-166;  as  a  colonizer  of 
the  West,  167-168;  fur  trade, 
steamboat  navigation,  and  western 
trails,  167-202  ;  geographical  advan 
tages  of,  1 68;  influence  of,  upon 
Montana,  201,  ft.  n.  i ;  railroads, 
228-249;  trade  in,  during  the 
nineteenth  century,  233 ;  politics 
from  1820  to  1844,  257-268; 
Kansas  border  troubles,  304-321; 
admitted  to  the  Southern  Con 
federacy,  369  ;  secured  to  the  Union 
by  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  372; 
free  silver  campaign  in,  436-441 ; 
Greenback  party  in,  436-457  ;  Popu 
list  party  in,  451 ;  growth  of 
population,  443-445 ;  development 
of  industries  and  wealth,  445-447 ; 
indebtedness,  448-453 ;  educational 
institutions,  453-463 ;  prohibition 
movement  in,  463-466 ;  place  in 
the  Union  in  population,  443-445 

Missouri  Army  Argus,   370 

Missouri  bill,  first,  104 ;  second,  105 ; 
third,  108-111 

Missouri  Brigades,  375-376 

Missouri  Compromise,  first,  104-115; 
second,  132-136;  repealed,  307 

Missouri  conference  of  the  Methodist 
church,  organized,  88 

Missouri  Fur  Company,  172-175 

Missouri  Gazette,  92-94,  112,  141, 
ft.  n.  i 

Missouri  Hotel,  where  the  first  general 
assembly  met,  128 

Missouri  House,  where  the  constitu 
tional  convention  met,  118 

Missouri  Intelligencer,  94,  112,  190- 
191 


Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas  Railroad, 
248 

Missouri  Mounted  Volunteers,  for  the 
Mexican  War,  154,  158  and  ft.  n.  2 

Missouri  Pacific  Railroad.  See  Pacific 
Railroad 

Missouri  Republican,  quotations  from, 
146,  ft.  n.  i,  345-347.  See  Missouri 
Gazette 

Missouri  River,  steamboat  traffic  on, 
181-186;  as  a  highway  in  the  State, 
299;  significance  of,  in  the  Civil 
War,  356 

Missouris,  the,  41,  ft.  n.  i,  66-72 

Missouri  State  militia,  402,  ft.  n.  i 

Missouri  Trading  Company,  171 

Missouri  Valley  College,  452 

Mobile,  railroad  connections  with  St. 
Louis,  247 

Mob  violence  against  free  negroes  and 
slaves,  294-295 

Monroe  County,  volunteers  from,  for 
the  Mexican  War,  158 

Monroe,  James,  reflected  President, 
258;  proclaims  the  admission  of 
Missouri  into  the  Union,  138 

Montana,  influence  of  Missouri  upon, 
201,  ft.  n.  i 

Monteith,  State  superintendent  of 
schools,  456 

Montgomery  County,  created,  79 ; 
resolutions  on  the  Missouri  bill,  112  ; 
representation  in  the  first  railroad 
convention,  230 

Montgomery's  raid,  320-321 

Morgan,  Colonel,  plans  for  colonizing 
New  Madrid,  49-50 

Mormons,  origin  of,  204-206 ;  Lama- 
nite  mission,  206-207 ;  founding  of 
Zion,  207-210;  expulsion  from  Jack 
son  County,  210-215;  attempts  to 
secure  redress,  215-216;  settlement 
in  Caldwell  County,  217-220; 
dissensions  among,  219-220;  gather 
ing  of  the  storm,  220-223  ;  expulsion 
from  the  State,  223-226;  return 
to  Missouri,  226-227;  company  of, 
for  the  Mexican  War,  158,  ft.  n.  i. 
See  also  Joseph  Smith 

Morning  and  Evening  Star,  Mormon 
paper,  211 

Mount  Pleasant  Baptist  Association, 
resolution  on  the  Missouri  bill,  112 

Mulattoes.     See  Slavery 

Mules  in  Santa  F6  trade,  197 


492 


INDEX 


Mullanphy,  John,   104,  ft.  n.  2 
Mulligan,  Colonel,  365-366 
Municipal  aid  to  railroads,  245-246 
Munitions,  manufacture  of,  72-73 
Murphy's  Settlement,  46 
Mutilation  of  slaves,  penalty  for,  293 

Napton,  Judge,  author  of  "Jackson 
Resolutions,"  273,  ft.  n.  2 

Nashville,  railroad  connections  with 
St.  Louis,  247 

National  banks.     See  Banks 

National  Convention,  political.  See 
Democratic,  Whig,  and  other 
political  parties 

Nauvoo,  settlement  of  Mormons  at, 
226 

Navajos,   expedition  against,   158-160 

Navigation,  use  of  slaves  in,  290 ; 
laws  against  owners  of  boats  carry 
ing  slaves,  295.  See  also  Mississippi 
and  Missouri  rivers 

Nebraska  Territory,  interest  of 
Missourians  in,  305 

Negroes,  in  French  settlements  in 
Illinois  in  1763,  5,  ft.  n.  3;  brought 
from  San  Domingo  to  Missouri  by 
Renault,  10-11;  defeat  of  amend 
ment  to  grant  suffrage  to,  419.  See 
also  Slavery  and  Free  Negroes 

Neosho,  special  session  of  the  legis 
lature  at,  368-369 

New  Bourbon,  early  history  of,  44-45  ; 
population  in  1799,  52,  ft.  n.  2 

New  England  Emigrant  Aid  Society, 
309 

New  Madrid,  early  history  of,  48-50; 
population  of,  in  1799,  52,  ft.  n.  2  ; 
decline  in  population  of,  76 ;  estab 
lishment  of  post  office  at,  94 

New  Madrid  claims,  77,  ft.  n.  i 

New  Madrid  County,  formed  in  1812, 
77 ;  effects  of  the  earthquake  on, 
77;  included  Arkansas  in  1813, 
78 ;  reduced  by  the  creation  of  Law 
rence  County,  78 ;  resolution  on  the 
Missouri  bill,  112 

New  Madrid  District,  condition  of,  from 
1763  to  1803,  48-51 ;  population  of, 
in  1804,  52,  ft.  n.  i ;  slaves  in,  286 

New  Mexico,  area  and  population  of, 
153,  ft.  n.  i ;  annexed  by  proclama 
tion  of  Kearny,  157;  constitution 
and  laws  drawn  from  Missouri  and 
Texas,  157,  ft.  n.  i ;  rebellion  in, 


164-165;  ceded  to  the  United 
States,  1 66;  won  by  Missourians, 
166-168;  territorial  organization 
of,  270 

New  Orleans,  migration  of  French 
settlers  to,  from  Missouri  after 
1764,  9;  battle  of,  72-73;  Du- 
Bourg  in,  90-91 ;  steamboat  con 
nection  with  St.  Louis,  145 ;  arrival 
of  Doniphan's  men  at,  163;  rail 
road  connection  with  St.  Louis,  247 

Newspapers,  early,  in  Missouri,  92- 
94;  in  1819,  112;  attitude  of, 
toward  the  migration  of  New  Eng- 
landers  to  Kansas,  310-311 

New  York,  Mormons  in,  206-207, 
210;  represented  at  the  railroad 
convention  in  St.  Louis,  235 

Nicknames  for  Missouri  towns,  17, 
25,  ft.  n.  2,  43 

Normal  schools,  461-462 

North  Carolina.     See  Carolinas 

North  Missouri  Railroad,  grants  from 
the  legislature  to,  236,  237,  240,  ft. 
n.  i ;  construction  to  Macon,  240 ; 
fails  to  pay  interest  on  its  bonds, 
241 ;  authorized  to  make  private 
loans,  242 ;  construction  of  branch 
to  St.  Joseph,  243  ;  sale  of,  244 

Northrup  and  Chick,  founders  of  the 
first  bank  at  Kansas  City,  49 

Northwest  Company  of  Montreal,  172 

Northwest  Ordinance,  effects  of,  on 
immigration  to  Missouri,  36-37 

Oaths,  test,  prescribed  for  voting  and 
office-holding  in  1861,  397,  408;  in 
1862,  398;  in  1865,  408-410;  for 
professions,  410-411;  oath  for  pro 
fessions  declared  unconstitutional, 

414,  ft.  n.  i;   oath  for  suffrage  and 
office-holding  declared  constitutional, 

415,  ft.  n.  i;   abolished,  422 

Ohio,  influence  of,  on  the  constitution 
of    Missouri,     126;      Mormons    in, 
206-207 ;     represented    at    the    rail 
road  convention  in  St.  Louis,  235 
Ohio  Life  and  Trust  Company,  149 
Oliver,  Mordecai,  secretary  of    state, 

394 
Omaha     Indians,     relations     of     Lisa 

with,  175 
Omaha,  railroad    connection  with   St. 

Louis  established,  247 
Omnibus  bill,  270-271 


INDEX 


493 


"Order  Number  Eleven,"   382-383 
Ordinance,     Northwest,      36-37 ;       of 

1820,    120-121;     ousting,    412-413. 

See  also  Emancipation 
Oregon,  influence  of  Missouri  on,  168, 

201 

Oregon  Trail,  197-202 
O'Reilly,  assumes  control  of  Louisiana 

for  Spain,  2,  ft.  n.  i,  19-20 
Orr,  Semple,  324 
Osage  boundary  line,  105,  ft.  n.  i 
Osages,  feared  by  the  Spanish  governor, 

47-48;     during   the   War   of    1812, 

66-72  ;  cessions  of  land  by,  72 
Osceola,  sacked  by  Jim  Lane,  381 
Ossawotamie,  anti-slavery  town,  309 ; 

destroyed,  318 
Ousting  ordinance,  412-413 
Ozark  County,  without  railroads,  246; 

value  of  lands  in  1910,  446 

Pacific  Fur  Company,  178,  ft.  n.  i 
Pacific  Railroad,  grants  from  the 
legislature  to,  236,  237,  239,  ft.  n.  i, 
240,  ft.  n.  i ;  construction  of,  236 ; 
fails  to  pay  interest  on  its  bonds, 
241 ;  authorized  to  make  private 
loans,  242  ;  completed,  242 ;  sale  of, 
244 

Packing  industry,  446-447 
"Pain  Court,"  17,  25,  ft.  n.  2 
Palmer,    vote    for,    in    Missouri,    441, 

ft.  n.  i 

Palmyra  massacre,  385,  ft.  n.  2 
Panhandle  district,  in,  ft.  n.  i 
Panic  of  1819,  142-143;  of  1837, 

145,  ft.  n.  i,,  149,  232 
Paper  money,  144-150 
Park  College,  462 
Parker  laws,  455-456 
Parkville,  resolutions  of  citizens  of,  con 
cerning  Nebraska,  305  ;  sack  of,  381 
Parochial  schools,  453.     See  Schools 
Parsons,  General,  321 
Pate,  Captain,  318,  ft.  n.  i 
Patrols  against  slaves,  296 
Pawpaw  Militia,  391 
Pea  Ridge,  battle  of,  371-372 
Peck,  Rev.  John  Mason,  early  Baptist 

preacher,  87 
Pemiscot  County,  effects  of  earthquake 

on,  77 

Penicaut's  Journal,  8,  ft.  n.  i 
Pennsylvania,    influence    of,     on    the 
constitution  of  Missouri,   126;    rep 


resented  at  the  railroad  convention 
at  St.  Louis,  235 

People's  party,  1872,  427 

Pershing,  General,  163,  ft.  n.  i 

Pertle  Springs  convention,  440 

Petition  to  Congress,  for  changes  in 
territorial  government,  101-102 ; 
for  statehood,  104-108;  for  grants 
of  land  for  railroads,  230;  from 
Mormons  for  relief,  225-226 

Phelps,  John  S.,  417 

Piernas,  arrival  of,  in  St.  Louis  in 
1770,  20 

Pike  County,  79 

Pike's  expedition,  171,  189-190 

Pilot  Knob,  battle  of,  386-387 

Pittsburgh,  steamboat  connection  with, 
St.  Louis,  143 ;  railroad  connection 
with  St.  Louis,  247 

Plantations,  not  numerous  in  Missouri, 
288-289 

Platte  County  Railroad,  grants  from 
the  legislature  to,  236,  240,  ft.  n.  i ; 
fails  to  pay  interest,  241 ;  sale  of, 
244 

Platte  County  Self  Defensive  Asso 
ciation,  312 

Platte  County,  volunteers  from,  for 
the  Mexican  War,  154;  representa 
tion  in  the  legislature,  263 

Platte  Purchase,  268 

Pleasanton,  General,  388 

Poindexter  Raid,  385 

Point  Labadie,  43 

Political  parties  in  Missouri  from  1820 
to  1844,  258-268.  See  Democratic, 
Whig,  Republican,  and  other  parties 

Politics,  territorial,  84 

Polk,  President,  apology  for  Kearny's 
New  Mexico  proclamation,  157; 
relation  with  Benton,  269 

Polk,  Trusten,  elected  governor,  284- 
285 ;  elected  to  the  Senate,  326,  ft. 
n.  i 

Population,  in  Illinois  in  1763,  5, 
ft.  n.  3;  in  Missouri  in  1765,  18; 
in  the  District  and  Territory  of 
Louisiana,  1803-10,  34,  39,  52,  ft. 
n.  i ;  in  the  territory  of  Missouri, 
1812,  67;  in  Missouri,  1810-1910, 
74,  81,  ft.  n.  i,  232,  287,  ft.  n.  i, 
355,  443;  in  Missouri  in  1821  and 
1910,  81 ;  of  St.  Louis,  1770-1910, 
20,  52,  140,  233,  444,  ft.  n.  i;  of 
Kansas  City,  444,  ft.  n.  i ;  of  St. 


494 


INDEX 


Joseph,  444,  ft.  n.  i ;  of  Stc.  Gene- 
vieve,  13,  46;  of  New  Mexico  in 
1846,  153,  ft.  n.  i ;  rank  of  Missouri 
in,  445 

Populist  movement,  437 

Portage  des  Sioux,  early  history  of, 
41 ;  Indian  conference  at,  70 

Portageville,  founded,  51 

Porter,  Joseph  C.,  377 

Postal  facilities,  early,  94 

Potosi.     See  Mine  ft  Breton 

Prairie  fires,  during  the  Civil  War,  384 

Pratte,  Chouteau  and  Company,  179 

Pratt,  Parley  P.,  207 

Preachers,  pioneer,  85-89 ;  test  oath 
for,  410 

Preamble  of  the  first  constitution,  121- 
122 

Presbyterians  in  St.  Louis  in  1816,  88 

Price-Harney  Agreement,  350-351 

Price,  Sterling,  arrival  at  Santa  Fe, 
157-158;  overcomes  rebellion  in 
New  Mexico,  164;  elected  governor, 
284;  president  of  the  State  con 
vention,  in  1861,  331;  sketch  of, 
331,  ft.  n.  i;  becomes  a  secession 
ist,  350;  makes  an  agreement  with 
Harney,  350-351;  at  the  Jackson- 
Lyon  interview,  352-354;  taken  ill 
at  Boonville,  356;  in  command  at 
Lexington,  357;  sent  to  solicit 
aid  from  McCulloch,  358 ;  at 
Cowskin  Prairie,  359;  advance  to 
Cussville,  361 ;  differences  with 
McCulloch,  362-363 ;  at  Wilson's 
Creek,  363-365 ;  inability  to  follow 
up  his  victory,  365  ;  drives  Jim  Lane 
from  the  State,  365 ;  campaign 
around  Lexington,  365-367  ;  returns 
to  southwest  Missouri,  367 ;  appeals 
for  reinforcements,  370;  retreats 
into  Arkansas,  371;  at  Pea  Ridge, 
371-372;  enters  Confederate  ser 
vice,  374-376;  raid  in  1864,  385- 
389  _ 

Profanity  in  early  Missouri,  82-83 

Professional  classes,  during  the  territo 
rial  period,  84;  oath  for,  in  1865, 
410-411 

Prohibition  movement,  463-466 

Protestants,  restrictions  upon,  during 
the  Spanish  period,  37-38,  50; 
growth  of,  during  the  territorial 
period,  85-89.  See  Baptist,  Metho 
dist,  and  other  denominations 


Provisional  government,  established 
by  the  State  convention,  369,  393- 
395  ;  problems  of,  395-401 ;  attacked 
by  Radicals,  401-402;  provision 
for  immediate  emancipation  of 
slaves,  405-406;  established  the 
Drake  constitution,  407-414 

Public  education.  See  Educational 
institutions 

Public  lands,  120 

Public  opinion  in  Missouri  in  1819— 
20  over  the  Missouri  bill,  111-115; 
in  1820-21,  over  the  delay  in  the 
admission  of  Missouri  into  the 
Union,  134-135 ;  over  the  Kansas- 
Nebraska  bill  and  the  border 
troubles,  305-306,  319-321 

Pulitzer,  Joseph,  419,  ft.  n.  i 

Qualifications  for  suffrage  and  office 
holding  during  the  Civil  War.  See 
Test  oaths,  Suffrage,  etc. 

Quantrell,  at  the  battle  of  Independ 
ence,  378 ;  at  the  sack  of  Lawrence, 
382  ;  at  Westport,  388 

Radicals,  rise  of,  401 ;  meeting  at 
Jefferson  City,  401-402 ;  appeal  to 
Lincoln,  402-404;  attempt  to  defeat 
Lincoln,  404-405 ;  on  control  of 
the  constitutional  convention  of 
1865,  405  ;  secure  immediate  emanci 
pation  of  slaves,  405-406;  draft 
the  Drake  constitution,  407-410; 
condemned  for  the  test  oaths  and 
disqualifications,  411;  divided  over 
the  adoption  of  the  constitution  of 
1865,  412;  opposition  to,  in  1866 
and  1868,  416-417;  victory  in  1866 
and  1868,  417-418;  downfall,  419- 
423  ;  significance  in  Missouri  history, 
422-423 

Railroads,  effects  of,  on  steamboat 
traffic  on  the  Missouri,  185-186; 
delay  in  building,  228-230;  first 
railroad  convention  in  St.  Louis, 
230;  incorporation  of  18  railroads, 
230-231;  decline  of  interest  in, 
232-233;  efforts  to  obtain  Con 
gressional  aid  for,  234-235  ;  second 
railroad  convention  in  St.  Louis, 
235;  first  State  grants  to,  235-236; 
early  construction  of,  236-237 ; 
legislative  inquiry  into  construction 
of,  238-239;  last  legislative  grants 


INDEX 


495 


to,  239-240;  mileage  in  1860,  240 
defaulting  in  the  payment  of  interest 
240-241 ;  private  loans  to,  241-242 
sale  of,  243-244;  legislative  in 
vestigation  into  the  sale  of,  244-245  ; 
county  and  municipal  aid  to,  245- 
246;  development  since  1865,  247- 
249 ;  constitutional  provision  against 
repetition  of  railroad  frauds,  433-434 

Raines,  General,  374 

Rails  County,  created,  80,  130,  ft.  n.  i 

Rails,  Daniel,  130 

Randolph  County,  volunteers  from, 
for  the  Mexican  War,  158 

Ray  County,  created,  79 

Rebellion  in  New  Mexico,    164-165 

"Red  Legs,"  depredations  of,  381- 
382,  384 

Reeves,  Benjamin  H.,  195 

Registry  Acts  of  1866  and  1868,  415- 
416 

Religious  restrictions  during  the 
Spanish  period,  85 

Renault,  early  mining  by,  10-11;  in 
troduces  slaves  into  Missouri,  286 

Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter  Day  Saints.  See  Mormons 

Republicans,  national  convention  of 
1860,  323  ;  slight  strength  in  Missouri 
in  1860,  325;  divided  into  "Clay- 
banks"  and  "Charcoals,"  401,  ft. 
n.  2;  conventions  in  1864,  404-405  ; 
victories  in  Missouri  in  1864,  405  ; 
Radical  rule,  1864-70,  407-419; 
victories  in  1894,  1904,  and  1908, 
428,  439-440 ;  national  convention 
of,  in  St.  Louis  in  1896,  441 

Reynolds,  T.  C.,  elected  lieutenant 
governor,  324;  ousted,  369;  fails  to 
establish  himself  as  governor,  387 

Rigdon,  Sidney,  journeys  to  western 
Missouri,  207 ;  settles  in  Missouri, 
219;  "salt  sermon,"  220,  223 

River  des  Peres  settlement,  7-8 

Roads,  during  the  territorial  period, 
95;  toll  roads,  229;  inadequate 
system  of,  232 

Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company,  175- 
178,  198 

Rolla,  School  of  Mines  at,  461 

Rollins,  James  S.,  father  of  the 
University  of  Missouri,  460 

Rosati,  Bishop,  first  Bishop  of  St. 
Louis,  92,  ft.  n.  i 

Rosecrans,  General,  387 


Rui,  Captain,  17-18 
Rural  schools,  456-457 

Sacramento,  battle  of,  162-163 

Sacs  and   Foxes,   during  the  War  of 

1812,  66-72;    treaty  with,  71 
St.    Andre,    population    in    1799,    52, 

ft.  n.  2 

St.    Ange,    governor   of   Upper   Loui 
siana,    20;     legal    founder     of    St. 

Louis,  20,  ft.  n.  i 
St.  Charles  County,  fort,  70;    formed 

in  1812,  77-78;    represented  at  the 

railroad    convention    at    St.    Louis, 

230 
St.  Charles  District,  condition  of,  1763- 

1803,  39-42;   population  of,  in  1804, 

52,  ft.  n.  i 
St.   Charles,   early  history  of,   39-40; 

population   in    1799,    52,    ft.    n.    i; 

commons,     58;      post     office,     94; 

resolutions    on    Missouri    bill,    112; 

temporary  capitol  at,    131 ;    special 
.   sessions    of    general    assembly    at, 

136;   slaves  at,  286 
St.  Charles  Missourian,  112 
Ste.     Genevieve    County,     formed    in 

1812,      77-78;       reduced     by     the 

creation  of  Washington  County,  78; 

resolution  on  the  Missouri  bill,  112; 

volunteers    from,    for    the    Mexican 

War,  158 
Ste.   Genevieve  District,  condition  of, 

1763-1803,    44-46;     population    of, 

in  1804,  52,  ft.  n.  i 

Ste.   Genevieve,   founded,    10-12;    re 
moved,    12-13,    44;     population   of, 

in  1799,  52,  ft.  n.  2;    common  field, 

58;    post  office  established    at,  94; 

slaves  at,  286 
St.     Ferdinand,     population     of,     in 

1799,  52,  ft.  n.  2 
St.  Joseph,  banks  of,   149 ;    resolution 

on    the    Nebraska    territory,     305 ; 

rank   in   population,    444 ;     packing 

industry  of,  447 
St.  Joseph  (Mich.),  Spanish  expedition 

against,  in  1781,  30 
St.  Joseph  Prairie  settlement,  7 
St.  Louis  and  Iron  Mountain  Railroad, 

grants  from  the  legislature  to,   236, 

237,    239,    ft.    n.    i,     240,    ft.    n.    i; 

built  to  Pilot  Knob,   240 ;    fails    to 

pay  interest  on  its  bonds,  241 ;    sale 
of,  244 


496 


INDEX 


St.  Louis  County,  formed  in  1812, 
77-78;  contest  over  election,  116, 
ft.  n.  i ;  resolutions  on  the  Missouri 
bill,  112;  volunteers  from,  for  the 
Mexican  War,  138;  represented  in 
the  first  railroad  convention,  230; 
representation  in  the  legislature, 
263 ;  resolutions  concerning  the 
Nebraska  territory,  305 ;  value  of 
land  in  1910,  446 

St.  Louis  District,  conditions  from 
1763  to  1803  in,  42-44;  population 
of,  in  1804,  52,  ft.  n.  i 

St.  Louis  Enquirer,  112 

St.  Louis,  founded,  13-15 ;  plan  of, 
1764-80,  16;  names  of,  17,  25,  ft.  n. 
2;  English  attack  upon,  in  1780, 
22-31;  fortifications  of,  26,  ft. 
n.  i ;  first  American  settler  in,  38 ; 
conditions  in  1804,  42 ;  population 
of,  in  1799,  52,  ft.  n.  i;  growth  of, 
from  1815  to  1820,  76;  foundation  of 
public  schools  in,  85  ;  first  Protestant 
churches  in,  88 ;  Catholic  church  in, 
89-92  ;  cathedrals  in,  91-92  ;  early 
newspapers  in,  92-94 ;  post  office 
established  at,  94 ;  landing  of  the 
first  steamboat  at,  95 ;  establish 
ment  of  first  bank  at,  140  ;  banks  of, 
140-150;  expression  of  citizens,  on 
Jackson's  veto,  143 ;  volunteers 
from,  for  the  Me"xic1in  War,  154; 
reception  given  by,  to  Doniphan's 
men,  164;  as  fur  center,  169-181; 
steamboat  terminus,  186;  .first 
railroad  convention  at,  230;  popu- 
tion  of,  in  1850,  233;  undeveloped 
trade  in  1850,  233 ;  ^s  a  railroad 
center,  247  ;  stronghold  of  the  Whig 
party,  261 ;  slaves  at,  281 ;  slave 
market,  291 ;  Lovejoy  incident, 
297-298;  emancipation  of  slaves 
at,  300;  State  convention  at,  322; 
Federal  arsenal  at,  336-338 ;  capture 
of  Camp  Jackson,  339-345 ;  excite 
ment  after  the  capture,  345-349; 
organized  as  a  county,  432,  ft.  n.  i ; 
rank  in  population,  444 ;  votes 
"wet,"  465 

Si.  Louis  Observer,  297 

St.  Louis  Republic,  92  and  ft.  n.  2 

St.  Louis  University,  454,  462 

St.  Michael's,  46 

St.  Paul,  railroad  connection  with  St. 
Louis  established,  247 


St.  Philippe,  location,  3;  founded, 
5,  ii ;  abandoned,  19 

Saints.     See  Mormons 

Salaries,  opposition  to  high  minimum, 
123,  131 

Sale  of  railroads,  243-245 

Saline  County,  created,  80;  volunteers 
from,  for  Mexican  War,  154 

Salt  Lake  Valley,  migration  of 
Mormons  to,  204,  226 

Salt  Springs,  grant  of,  to  Missouri,  120 

Saltillo,  Doniphan's  advance  to,  163 

San  Carlos  del  Missouri,  40 

San  Diego,  arrival  of  Kearny  at,  157 

San  Fernando,  40,  43.     Sec  Florissant 

Santa  Fe"  expeditions,  preparations  for, 
153-154;  Kearny's  march  to,  155- 
157;  Price's  expedition  to,  157- 
158,  331,  ft.  n.  i;  Doniphan's 
expedition  against  the  Navajos,  158- 
160;  Doniphan's  expedition  through 
Mexico,  160-164;  reception  of 
troops  at  St.  Louis,  164;  rebellion 
in  New  Mexico,  164-165;  return  of 
Price  to  New  Mexico,  165;  signifi 
cance  of  Kearny  and  Doniphan's 
expeditions,  166 

Sante  F6,  founded,  188 ;  population 
in  1846,  153,  ft.  n.  i;  entry  of 
Kearny  into,  156;  furs  brought  from, 
175 

Santa  Fe*  trade,  first  expedition,  188; 
Vial's  journey,  188-189;  Becknell's 
expedition,  190-191 ;  attacks  by 
the  Indians,  191-192 ;  Mexican 
tariffs  and  customs,  194-195;  char 
acter  of  traders,  195-196;  wares, 
returns,  and  profits,  196-197  ;  effects 
of  the  decline  of,  upon  the  rail 
roads,  232 

Santa  Fe*  Trail,  197-202 

Saucier,  founder  of  Portage  des  Sioux, 
4i 

Schofield,  General,  379 

School  districts,  created,  456;  con 
solidation  of,  463 

School  funds,  450-452,  453,  ft.  n.  i. 
See  Certificates  of  indebtedness 

School  of  Mines  and  Metallurgy,  461 

Schools,  during  the  Spanish  period, 
60;  during  the  territorial  period, 
84-85 ;  Congressional  grant  of  the 
sixteenth  section,  120;  condition 
from  1820  to  1860,  453-455 ;  during 
the  Civil  War,  455 ;  since  the 


INDEX 


497 


Civil  War,  450-463 ;  State  aid  for, 
458-459 ;  needed  improvements  in, 
463 ;  parochial,  453 

Schurz,  Carl,  leader  of  the  Liberals, 
419;  chairman  of  the  National 
Liberal  Convention,  425-426 

Scott,  John,  member  of  the  con 
stitutional  convention  of  1820, 
118,  124-126;  first  Congressman 
from  Missouri,  127;  reflected, 
258 ;  votes  for  Adams  for  President, 
259;  defeated  for  reelection,  259 

Seal  of  Missouri,  130 

Secessionists  in  Missouri,  attitude 
toward  the  question  of  secession, 
in  1860,  325;  disappointment  over 
the  action  of  the  State  convention, 
335  ;  ranks  increased  by  the  capture 
of  Camp  Jackson,  350 

Secession  of  the  Southern  States,  325; 
of  Missouri  by  declaration  of  the 
legislature,  369 

Secretary  of  State,  office  of,  123 

Seminary  fund,   450-452 

Senate.      See  Legislative  department 

Shannon  County,  value  of  lands  in, 
in  1910,  446 

Shawnees,  brought  to  Missouri  by 
Lorimier,  47 ;  during  the  War  of 
1812,  66-72;  cessions  of  land  by, 
72  ;  Mormon  mission  to,  207 

Sheriff,  office  of,  124 

Shot  tower,  at  Herculaneum,  72,  104, 
ft.  n.  2 

Sigel,  Franz,  defeated  at  Carthage, 
359;  at  Wilson's  Creek,  363-364 

Silver,  free,  campaign,  436-441 

Sioux  Indians,  241,  ft.  n.  i 

Slaveholders,  comparison  between 
French  and  American,  287 ;  average 
number  of  slaves  held  by,  289-290; 
selling  of  slaves  by,  291 ;  anxiety 
of,  concerning  free  negroes,  291, 
ft.  n.  i ;  relation  of,  with  their 
slaves,  294-295 ;  teaching  of  slaves 
by,  296 ;  interest  in  colonization  by, 
299-300 

Slavery,  question  raised  by  the  petition 
for  statehood,  99;  Tallmadge 
amendment,  105 ;  first  Missouri 
Compromise,  108-111;  opposition 
to  Congressional  restriction  upon, 
111-113;  issue  in  1820,  115-116; 
no  interest  in  Missouri  over  the 
extension  of,  in  Texas,  152;  opposi 


tion  of  Mormons  to,  211;  question 
of,  in  New  Mexico  Territory, 
269;  doctrine  of  squatter  sover 
eignty,  272-273  ;  during  the  Spanish 
period,  61 ;  legal  basis  for,  291- 
292 ;  provision  for,  in  the  Kan 
sas-Nebraska  Act,  307 ;  attitude 
of  Governor  Stewart  toward,  326; 
attitude  of  Governor  Jackson  toward, 
327.  See  also  Emancipation,  Coloni 
zation,  Free  negroes,  and  Kansas 
border  troubles 

Slaves,  Indians  as,  286;  first  negro, 
in  Missouri,  10-11,  286;  difference 
in  attitude  of  French  and  American 
pioneers  toward,  286-287 ;  number 
of,  in  Missouri,  1803-60,  287;  value 
of,  290;  traffic  in,  290-291;  codes, 
292  ;  civil  disabilities  of,  292-293  ; 
not  a  mere  "thing,"  292;  penalties 
for  crimes  and  misdemeanors  of,  293- 
294;  relation  between  masters  and, 
294-295;  recovery  of  fugitive,  270, 
295 ;  number  of,  in  western  Missouri 
in  1860,  308 

Slave  trade,  activity  in,  290-291 ; 
abolished  in  the  District  of  Columbia, 
270 

Smith,  Joseph,  Jr.,  founder  of  Mor- 
monism,  204-205 ;  organization  of 
the  Mormon  church  at  Fayette, 
N.  Y.,  208;  removal  to  Kirtland,  O., 
207 ;  journey  to  Missouri,  207 ; 
dedication  of  Zion,  207-208; 
revelation  of  Mormon  troubles,  213; 
moves  to  Missouri,  219;  plans 
for  the  expansion  of  Mormonism, 
220;  charged  with  and  tried  for 
treason,  224  ;  escapes  from  Missouri, 
225;  settles  at  Nauvoo,  226; 
murdered,  226 

"  Social  Bands,"  312 

Social  conditions,  in  early  French 
settlements,  19-20;  during  the 
Spanish  period,  58-61 ;  during  the 
territorial  period,  81-97 ;  in  recent 
times,  442-466 

"Softs,"   261-268 

Solemn  Public  Act,  enacted  1821, 
136-138;  violated,  302 

Sons  of  the  South,  312 

South  Carolina.     See  Carolinas 

South  Pass,  discovery  of,  198 

Southwest  Branch  of  the  Pacific, 
grants  from  the  legislature  to,  236, 


498 


INDEX 


237,  239,  ft.  n.  i ;  240,  ft.  n.  i ;  fails 
to  pay  interest,  241 ;  sale  of,  244 

Spain,  acquires  territory  in  America 
from  France,  2  ;  alliance  with  France 
against  England,  23  ;  claims  territory 
between  the  Ohio  River  and  the 
Great  Lakes,  30-31 ;  offers  induce 
ments  to  settlers  from  the  United 
States,  37 ;  induces  Lorimier  to 
bring  Indians  to  Louisiana,  47-48; 
Mexico  revolts  from,  190 

"Spanish  Bank,"  36 

Spanish  forts  in  Missouri,  17-18 

Spanish  land  grants,  terms  of,  37-38 ; 
proposed  to  Morgan,  49 

Spanish  Louisiana,  acquired  from 
France,  2 ;  control  assumed  by 
Spanish  officials  in  1769,  2;  condi 
tions  during  the  Spanish  period, 
32-64;  government  of,  52-55 

Speculation  during  the  territorial 
period,  84;  from  1815  to  1819,  142- 
143;  during  the  3o's,  231 

Springfield,  early  settlements  near,  76; 
campaigns  around,  during  the  Civil 
War,  358-365;  normal  school  at, 
461 

Squatters'  Claim  Association,  organi 
zation  of,  311-312 

Squatter  Sovereign,  the,  newspaper  at 
Atchison,  310-311 

Squatter  sovereignty,  doctrine  of,  273 

Stakes,  Mormon,  210 

State  aid  to  railroads,  235-245 ;  to 
schools,  458-459 

State  banks.     See  Banks 

State  conventions.     See  Conventions 

State  Guards,  ordered  to  camp  by 
Governor  Jackson,  337-338;  cap 
tured  at  Camp  Jackson,  339-345 ; 
parole  of,  after  the  capture,  345, 
ft.  n.  i ;  propositions  of  Governor 
Jackson  and  Captain  Lyon  concern 
ing,  352-353  ;  general  levy  of,  issued 
by  Governor  Jackson,  355  ;  defeated 
at  Boonville,  356-357 ;  fall  back 
to  the  Osage  River,  357-358;  con 
centrate  in  the  Southwest,  358-360; 
defeat  Lyon  at  Wilson's  Creek,  360- 
365;  transferred  to  the  Confederate 
service,  374-375 ;  percentage  of 
Missourians  in,  and  in  the  Con 
federate  service,  392 

State  Militia,  organization  of  loyal, 
by  Governor  Gamble,  396-398; 


pillaging  and  plundering  of,  380; 
bitter  feeling  of  Confederates  against, 
381 ;  difference  between  the  Missouri 
State  Militia  and  the  Enrolled 
Missouri  Militia,  402,  ft.  n.  i 

Steamboat,  during  the  territorial 
period,  95,  184-185;  traffic  in 
1836,  between  St.  Louis  and  other 
points,  143-144;  traffic  on  the 
Missouri  River,  181-186 

Stephens  College,  463 

Stewart,  Governor,  replies  to  Benton's 
"Appeal,"  276;  vetoes  free  negro 
bill,  302  ;  suppresses  border  troubles, 
319-320;  appeals  to  President 
Buchanan  for  help,  320,  ft.  n.  i ; 
last  message  to  the  legislature,  326; 
sketch  of,  326,  ft.  n.  i 

Stirling,  Captain,  19,  ft.  n.  2 

Stoddard,  Captain  Amos,  33-34 

Stringfellow,  Attorney  General,  can 
didate  for  the  Senate,  277;  con 
nected  with  the  Kansas  invasions, 
315;  issues  manifestoes  against 
John  Brown,  318 

Suffrage,  during  the  territorial  period, 
102-103 ;  qualifications  for,  under 
the  constitution  of  1820,  122;  under 
the  ordinance  of  1861,  397;  of 
1862,  397-398;  the  constitution 
of  1865,  408-410;  negro,  defeated 
in  1868,  418-419;  schism  in  the 
ranks  of  the  Radicals  over,  419-420; 
limitations  on,  abolished,  422 

Sunday  desecration,   83 

Superintendents  of  registration,  4 1 5-4 1 6 

Swamps,  reclamation  of,  77 

Taft,  William  H.,  441,  ft.  n.  i 
Tallmadge  amendment,  105 
Taney  County,  value  of  land  in,  446 
Taos,  captured  by  Price,  165 
Tappan,    Arthur,    negro    incident    of, 

299 

Tarkio  College,  462 
Taverns  in  the  territorial  period,  97 ; 

at  Arrow  Rock,  199 
Taxation,  during  the  Civil  War,  396; 

constitutional  limitations  upon,  433- 

435 

Taylor,  General  Zachary,   153 

Teachers'  colleges,  462 

Teachers,  oath  prescribed  for,  460; 
requirements  for  certification  of, 
457-458.  See  Schools  and  Education 


INDEX 


499 


Temple  Lot,  at  Independence,  con 
secrated,  208;  in  possession  of  the 
"Hedrickites,"  208-209,  226;  ex 
pectation  of  all  Mormon  sects  to  erect 
the  temple  thereon,  226-227. 

Tennessee,  emigration  from,  to  Mis 
souri,  74,  208 ;  represented  at  the 
railroad  convention  at  St.  Louis, 

235 
Territorial    government    of    Missouri, 

99-104 

Territory  of  Louisiana,  101-102 
Territory  of  Missouri,  102-103 
Territory  of  Orleans,  100 
Test  Oath.     See  Oaths 
Texas,    interest    in    Missouri    in    the 
annexation  of,  151;    migration  from 
Missouri     to,     151,     168;      railroad 
connection    with    St.    Louis    estab 
lished,    248;     opposition   of   Benton 
to  the  cession  of,  in  1819,  255;    how 
Texas  question  arose,  265 
Thomas  amendment   to   the   Missouri 

bill,  108 

Thompson,  Jeff,  raids  of,  385 
Tobacco  industry,  446 
Todd,  guerrilla,  killed  in  Price's  raid,  388 
Topeka,  anti-slavery  town,  309 
Topeka  constitution,  315-316 
Towns,  "wet"  and  "dry,"  464 
Trails,  Santa  Fe*  and  Oregon,  197-202 
Transcontinental    railroad,     proposed, 

234-235 

Treasurer,  State,  office  of,  123 
Treaty,   of   Fontainebleau,    2,    22;     of 
San  Ildefonso,  32  ;   with  the  Indians, 
70-72;   of  Guadalupe,  166,  269 
Trudeau,  Governor,  170-171 
Trust  companies.     See  Banks 

"Unconditional  Union  men,"  330 

Underground  railroad,  295 

United  States  Bank,  branch  of,  at 
St.  Louis,  143 

University  of  Missouri,  120,  454-455, 
459-462 

Utah,  migration  of  Mormons  to,  204, 
226;  Utah  Mormons  at  Independ 
ence,  227 

Value  of  land,  in  1815,  75;    in  recent 

years,  445~447 
Van    Buren,     President,     commended 

by  the  legislature  of  Missouri  for  his 

stand  on  abolition,  298 


Van  Dorn,  in  command  at  Pea  Ridge, 
37i 

Vernon  County,  invaded  by  "Jay- 
hawkers,  "31 9-3  2 1 ;  "  Order  Number 
Eleven,"  382 

Vial,  Pedro,  journey  from  New  Mexico 
to  St.  Louis,  188-189 

Vide  Poche,  43 

Virginia,  plans  of  the  governor  of, 
to  harass  the  English  in  the  Mis 
sissippi  Valley,  22-23;  emigration 
from,  to  Missouri,  74,  288;  misrule 
of,  in  Illinois  country,  35-36;  in 
fluence  of,  on  Missouri's  code,  292 

Wabash  Railroad.  See  North  Mis 
souri  Railroad 

Wabaunsee,   anti-slavery  town,   309 

Wagoner,  David,  413 

Walker,  J.  Hardeman,  in,  ft.   n.  i 

War  of  1812,  66-73;  with  Mexico, 
151-165 

Warren  County,  represented  in  the 
railroad  convention  at  St.  Louis,  230 

Warrensburg,  normal  school  at,  461 

Washington  County,  formed,  78; 
resolutions  from,  on  the  Missouri 
bill,  112;  represented  in  the  railroad 
convention  at  St.  Louis,  230 

Washington  University,  454-462 

Wayne  County,  created,  79 

Wealth,  taxable,  447 

Weaver,  J.  B.,  vote  for,  as  President, 
in  Missouri,  437 

Wells,  Carty,  introduces  the  "Jackson 
Resolutions,"  273,  ft.  n.  i ;  replies 
to  Benton's  "Appeal,"  276 

West,  condition  of  the,  in  1850,  304; 
Benton's  interest  in,  281 

Westminster  College,  454,  462 

Weston,  local  affairs  at,  312 

Westport,  terminus  of  the  Santa  F6 
Trail,  200 ;  resolutions  on  the  emi 
gration  of  New  Englanders  to 
Kansas,  311;  battle  of,  387-390 

"WTet"  counties  and  towns,  464 

Wetmore,  Alphonse,   195 

Whigs,  attempt  to  get  the  vote  of 
the  Mormons  in  Daviess  County, 
221;  origin  of,  250;  rise  in  Missouri, 
261 ;  oppose  the  creation  of  new 
counties  in  Missouri,  264;  issue 
no  State  ticket  in  1844,  265  ;  strength 
of,  in  the  legislature  in  1844,  268; 
division  among,  in  1850,  277;  elect 


500 


INDEX 


Geycr  to  the  Senate,  277;    merged 

into     the     Conservative     Unionist 

party,    323;     cooperation   with   the 

Democrats  in  1868,  418 
Whipping  of  slaves,  293-294 
Whitfield,   elected   territorial  delegate 

from  Kansas  by  Missourians,  313 
Whitmer,     David,     Mormon     leader, 

219,  220,  ft.  n.  i 
"Wide-awakes,"  organization  of,  340, 

ft.  n.  i ;  arming  of,  341,  ft.  n.  i 
Wight,  Mormon  leader,  215,  ft.  n.  i 
Wilkinson,  General,  interest  in  the 

Spanish  intrigues  in  the  West,  50 
Willamette      Valley,      migration      of 

Missourians  to,  201 
William  Jewel  College,  454,  462 


William   Woods   College,   463 
Wilmot  Provisb,  269 
Wilson,  John,   299 
Wilson,  Robert,  393 
Wisconsin,    represented    in    the    rail 
road  convention  at  St.  Louis,   235 
Woodson,  Silas,  425-426 
Wool,  General,  153,  162 

Yellowstone,  early  steamboat    on    the 

Missouri,  184-185 
Young,     Brigham,     succeeds     Joseph 

Smith  as  Mormon  leader,  226 
Young,  Colonel  Sam,  315 

Zinc    mining  in    Missouri,    169,    207- 
208,  446 


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